Two perfectly smooth solid spheres A and B lie on a friction-less horizontal table
PHYSICS · Subjective · AP · Physics 1: Algebra-based · Linear Momentum · Linear Momentum
Problem
Two perfectly smooth solid spheres A and B lie on a friction-less horizontal table. At the instant just before impact the line joining their centres is taken to be the x-axis.
(i) Define the coefficient of restitution for the impact between the two spheres.
(ii) Show that the component of velocity of each sphere perpendicular to the line joining their centres remains unchanged during the short duration of the impact.
(iii) Hence obtain an expression for the change in the total kinetic energy of the system in terms of the masses of the spheres and their velocity components parallel to the line of centres before and after the impact. Comment on the part played by the perpendicular components in this energy change.