A billiard ball collision scenario

Understanding Elastic Collisions in Physics

Elastic Collisions: In physics, when two objects collide elastically, both momentum and kinetic energy are conserved throughout the collision. This means that the total momentum and total kinetic energy before the collision is equal to the total momentum and total kinetic energy after the collision.

Conservation of Momentum:

Momentum: Momentum is the product of an object's mass and its velocity. In an isolated system where no external forces are present, momentum is conserved. This means that the total momentum before a collision is equal to the total momentum after the collision.

Application to the Billiard Ball Scenario:

When the moving billiard ball with a velocity of 2.5 m/s collides elastically with the stationary billiard ball of the same mass, momentum is conserved. Since the second billiard ball is initially at rest, the total momentum before the collision is solely attributed to the moving ball.

After the collision, the moving ball comes to rest, transferring all its momentum to the previously stationary ball. Therefore, the second ball will move with a velocity of 2.5 m/s after the collision, as it now possesses the momentum of the first ball.

Conclusion:

In conclusion, the velocity of the second ball after the collision in an elastic collision scenario, where a moving ball collides with a stationary ball of the same mass, will be equal to the velocity of the moving ball before the collision. This is due to the conservation of momentum and energy principles that govern elastic collisions in physics.