Two smooth, identical steel balls undergo a head-on collision on a frictionless…
PHYSICS · Subjective · CBSE · Physics · Laws of Motion · Laws of Motion
Problem
Two smooth, identical steel balls undergo a head-on collision on a frictionless horizontal track and remain in contact for a very short time.
(i) State Newton’s third law of motion.
(ii) Using the law stated in part (i), explain why the two balls experience impulses that are equal in magnitude and opposite in direction during the collision.
(iii) Sketch qualitative force–time graphs for the force on each ball during the interval of contact. Label the axes clearly and shade the region representing impulse in each graph.
(iv) Compare the shaded areas obtained in part (iii) and justify your comparison on the basis of the explanation given in part (ii).