CRACKING MECHANICS

UNIVERSITY OF BRISTOL

WEEK 1
LOST IN SPACE
We can use the principle of conservation of momentum to work out how particles will
behave after a collision. The key thing to realise is that momentum is a vector quantity, so
direction is important. Let's consider three examples. In example one, two particles of the
same mass are heading towards each other at equal and opposite velocities v. After the
collision, the first particle has 0 velocity.
What's the velocity x of the second particle? Well, the momentum before is mv minus mv
is 0. So the momentum after is 0 plus mx equals 0. So x equals 0. The second particle
comes to rest, too.
In example two, two particles of the same mass are heading towards each other at equal
and opposite velocities, v. After the collision, the first particle has velocity minus v. What's
the velocity of the second particle? Well, again, momentum before is mv minus mv equals
0. So the momentum after is also 0 and is minus mv plus mx equals zero. So that means x
must equal v. Both particles bounce off each other and reverse direction and velocity.
Finally, in example three, both particles are at rest before. Afterwards, the first particle has
velocity minus v. What's the velocity of the second particle? Well, momentum before
equals 0. Momentum after is mx minus mv equals 0. So that means x is equal to v.
Particles fly apart with equal and opposite velocities.
These are all very similar examples but with very different particle behaviour. In example
one, the particles came to rest. They appear to lose all their energy. In example two, they
bounce off each other. Their energy stays the same. In example three, they seem to gain
their energy from somewhere.
We can work out kinetic energy. It's equal to 1/2 mv squared. So that in example one, the
kinetic energy before is mv squared. The kinetic energy afterwards is 0. We call this an
inelastic collision. An example two, the energy before is mv squared. And the energy
afterwards is also mv squared. We call this an elastic collision. In example three, the
energy before 0. And the energy afterwards is mv squared. In each case, momentum is
conserved.

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