Consider a head-on elastic collision in which an atom of mass with initial speed…

PHYSICS · Subjective · AP · Physics 1: Algebra-based · Linear Momentum · Linear Momentum

Problem

Consider a head-on elastic collision in which an atom of mass

m_{1}

with initial speed

v_{0}

strikes a stationary atom of mass

m_{2}

. Derive an expression for the final speed

v_{1f}

of the incident atom in terms of

m_{1}

m_{2}

, and

v_{0}