Sunday, June 10, 2018

homework and exercises - Final velocities of a two point-masses in inelastic collision



Two particles of same mass in a 2D frame collide with known initial (i) velocities. I would like to know the final (f) velocities of them after the collision.


As in any other collision, momentum is conserved after the collision. Writing in components:


vix,1+vix,2=vfx,1+vfx,2

viy,1+viy,2=vfy,1+vfy,2


The total energy (not the mechanical) is also conserved. K accounts for the thermal energy. v2,ix,1+v2,iy,1+v2,ix,2+v2,iy,2=v2,fx,1+v2,fy,1+v2,fx,2+v2,fy,2+2K/m

I obtain with this 3 equations for 4 unknown quantities, the x and y components of the velocities of particle 1 and particle 2. How could this be solved?. What information should I add? I can only think of modelling the collision with a potential of some kind.





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