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The following statement was taken from an exam paper: “The collision between two helium atoms is perfectly elastic, so that momentum is conserved.” What do you think of this statement?

The following statement was taken from an exam paper: “The collision between two helium atoms is perfectly elastic, so that momentum is conserved.” What do you think of this statement?

Grade:11

2 Answers

Aditi Chauhan
askIITians Faculty 396 Points
8 years ago
In an elastic collision, the total momentum of the two bodies remains constant; that is the total momentum before the collision equals to the total momentum after the collision. Momentum of a body is equal to the mass of the body times the velocity of the body. Since the collision is elastic between the two helium atoms, therefore it signifies that both momentum and kinetic energy is conserved. Thus the sum of momentum of both the helium atoms is equal to the sum of momentum of the both atoms after collision.
Abdul Qadoos
16 Points
3 years ago
A collision is sad to be perfectly elastic if momentum and K. E. of the system remains conserved. If only momentum is conserved, then the collision will be inelastic.

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