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lana asked in Science & MathematicsPhysics · 2 years ago

How do you find individual after collision momentum of 2 objects?

Not the total momentum because that equals the initial total momentum. I mean the individual momentums.

2 Answers

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  • ?
    Lv 7
    2 years ago

    There isn't a quick answer to that, it a whole topic in its own right.

  • 2 years ago

    How do you find individual after collision momentum of 2 objects? Not the total momentum because that equals the initial total momentum. I mean the individual momentums.

    depends on what kind of collision, and what other info you have. You know the sum of the initial momentum has to equal the sum of the final momentum, for example. 

    for an elastic collision, you can use this:

    Elastic collisions

    v is velocity after the collision, u before

    v₁ = (u₁(m₁–m₂) + 2m₂u₂) / (m₁ + m₂)

    v₂ = (u₂(m₂–m₁) + 2m₁u₁) / (m₁ + m₂)

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