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In
physics Physics is the scientific study of matter, its Elementary particle, fundamental constituents, its motion and behavior through space and time, and the related entities of energy and force. "Physical science is that department of knowledge whi ...
, a collision is any event in which two or more bodies exert
force In physics, a force is an influence that can cause an Physical object, object to change its velocity unless counterbalanced by other forces. In mechanics, force makes ideas like 'pushing' or 'pulling' mathematically precise. Because the Magnitu ...
s on each other in a relatively short time. Although the most common use of the word ''collision'' refers to incidents in which two or more objects collide with great force, the scientific use of the term implies nothing about the magnitude of the force.


Types of collisions

Collision is short-duration interaction between two bodies or more than two bodies simultaneously causing change in motion of bodies involved due to internal forces acted between them during this. Collisions involve forces (there is a change in
velocity Velocity is a measurement of speed in a certain direction of motion. It is a fundamental concept in kinematics, the branch of classical mechanics that describes the motion of physical objects. Velocity is a vector (geometry), vector Physical q ...
). The magnitude of the velocity difference just before impact is called the closing speed. All collisions conserve
momentum In Newtonian mechanics, momentum (: momenta or momentums; more specifically linear momentum or translational momentum) is the product of the mass and velocity of an object. It is a vector quantity, possessing a magnitude and a direction. ...
. What distinguishes different types of collisions is whether they also conserve
kinetic energy In physics, the kinetic energy of an object is the form of energy that it possesses due to its motion. In classical mechanics, the kinetic energy of a non-rotating object of mass ''m'' traveling at a speed ''v'' is \fracmv^2.Resnick, Rober ...
of the system before and after the collision. Collisions are of two types: #
Elastic collision In physics, an elastic collision occurs between two physical objects in which the total kinetic energy of the two bodies remains the same. In an ideal, perfectly elastic collision, there is no net loss of kinetic energy into other forms such a ...
If all of the total kinetic energy is conserved (i.e. no energy is released as sound, heat, etc.), the collision is said to be ''perfectly elastic''. Such a system is an
idealization Psychoanalytic theory posits that an individual unable to integrate difficult feelings mobilizes specific defenses to overcome these feelings, which the individual perceives to be unbearable. The defense that effects (brings about) this process i ...
and cannot occur in reality, due to the
second law of thermodynamics The second law of thermodynamics is a physical law based on Universal (metaphysics), universal empirical observation concerning heat and Energy transformation, energy interconversions. A simple statement of the law is that heat always flows spont ...
. # Inelastic collision. If most or all of the total kinetic energy is lost ( dissipated as heat, sound, etc. or absorbed by the objects themselves), the collision is said to be ''inelastic''; such collisions involve objects coming to a full stop. An example of this is a baseball bat hitting a baseball - the kinetic energy of the bat is transferred to the ball, greatly increasing the ball's velocity. The sound of the bat hitting the ball represents the loss of energy. A "perfectly inelastic" collision (also called a "perfectly plastic" collision) is a limiting case of inelastic collision in which the two bodies coalesce after impact. An example of such a collision is a car crash, as cars crumple inward when crashing, rather than bouncing off of each other. This is by design, for the safety of the occupants and bystanders should a crash occur - the frame of the car absorbs the energy of the crash instead. The degree to which a collision is elastic or inelastic is quantified by the
coefficient of restitution In physics, the coefficient of restitution (COR, also denoted by ''e''), can be thought of as a measure of the elasticity of a collision between two bodies. It is a dimensionless parameter defined as the ratio of the relative velocity of sepa ...
, a value that generally ranges between zero and one. A perfectly elastic collision has a coefficient of restitution of one; a perfectly inelastic collision has a coefficient of restitution of zero. The line of impact is the line that is collinear to the common normal of the surfaces that are closest or in contact during impact. This is the line along which internal force of collision acts during impact, and Newton's
coefficient of restitution In physics, the coefficient of restitution (COR, also denoted by ''e''), can be thought of as a measure of the elasticity of a collision between two bodies. It is a dimensionless parameter defined as the ratio of the relative velocity of sepa ...
is defined only along this line. Collisions in
ideal gases An ideal gas is a theoretical gas composed of many randomly moving point particles that are not subject to interparticle interactions. The ideal gas concept is useful because it obeys the ideal gas law, a simplified equation of state, and is am ...
approach perfectly elastic collisions, as do scattering interactions of
sub-atomic particles In physics, a subatomic particle is a particle smaller than an atom. According to the Standard Model of particle physics, a subatomic particle can be either a composite particle, which is composed of other particles (for example, a baryon, like ...
which are deflected by the
electromagnetic force In physics, electromagnetism is an interaction that occurs between particles with electric charge via electromagnetic fields. The electromagnetic force is one of the four fundamental forces of nature. It is the dominant force in the interac ...
. Some large-scale interactions like the slingshot type gravitational interactions between satellites and planets are almost perfectly elastic.


Examples


Billiards

Collisions play an important role in
cue sports Cue sports are a wide variety of Game of skill, games of skill played with a cue stick, which is used to strike billiard balls and thereby cause them to move around a Baize, cloth-covered billiards table, table bounded by elastic bumpers known a ...
. Because the collisions between billiard balls are nearly
elastic Elastic is a word often used to describe or identify certain types of elastomer, Elastic (notion), elastic used in garments or stretch fabric, stretchable fabrics. Elastic may also refer to: Alternative name * Rubber band, ring-shaped band of rub ...
, and the balls roll on a surface that produces low rolling friction, their behavior is often used to illustrate
Newton's laws of motion Newton's laws of motion are three physical laws that describe the relationship between the motion of an object and the forces acting on it. These laws, which provide the basis for Newtonian mechanics, can be paraphrased as follows: # A body re ...
. After a zero-friction collision of a moving ball with a stationary one of equal mass, the angle between the directions of the two balls is 90 degrees. This is an important fact that professional billiards players take into account, although it assumes the ball is moving without any impact of friction across the table rather than rolling with friction. Consider an elastic collision in two dimensions of any two masses ''m''a and ''m''b, with respective initial velocities va1 and vb1 where vb1 = 0, and final velocities va2 and vb2. Conservation of momentum gives ''m''ava1 = ''m''ava2 + ''m''bvb2. Conservation of energy for an elastic collision gives (1/2)''m''a, va1, 2 = (1/2)''m''a, va2, 2 + (1/2)''m''b, vb2, 2. Now consider the case ''m''a = ''m''b: we obtain va1 = va2 + vb2 and , va1, 2 = , va2, 2 + , vb2, 2. Taking the
dot product In mathematics, the dot product or scalar productThe term ''scalar product'' means literally "product with a Scalar (mathematics), scalar as a result". It is also used for other symmetric bilinear forms, for example in a pseudo-Euclidean space. N ...
of each side of the former equation with itself, , va1, 2 = va1•va1 = , va2, 2 + , vb2, 2 + 2va2•vb2. Comparing this with the latter equation gives va2•vb2 = 0, so they are perpendicular unless va2 is the zero vector (which occurs
if and only if In logic and related fields such as mathematics and philosophy, "if and only if" (often shortened as "iff") is paraphrased by the biconditional, a logical connective between statements. The biconditional is true in two cases, where either bo ...
the collision is head-on).


Perfect inelastic collision

In a perfect inelastic collision, i.e., a zero
coefficient of restitution In physics, the coefficient of restitution (COR, also denoted by ''e''), can be thought of as a measure of the elasticity of a collision between two bodies. It is a dimensionless parameter defined as the ratio of the relative velocity of sepa ...
, the colliding particles coalesce. Using conservation of momentum: ::m_a \mathbf v_ + m_b \mathbf v_ = \left( m_a + m_b \right) \mathbf v_2, the final velocity is given by ::\mathbf v_2 = \frac. The reduction of total kinetic energy is equal to the total kinetic energy before the collision in a
center of momentum frame In physics, the center-of-momentum frame (COM frame) of a system, also known as zero-momentum frame, is the inertial frame in which the total momentum of the system vanishes. It is unique up to velocity, but not origin. The ''center of momentum'' ...
with respect to the system of two particles, because in such a frame the kinetic energy after the collision is zero. In this frame most of the kinetic energy before the collision is that of the particle with the smaller mass. In another frame, in addition to the reduction of kinetic energy there may be a transfer of kinetic energy from one particle to the other; the fact that this depends on the frame shows how relative this is. With time reversed we have the situation of two objects pushed away from each other, e.g. shooting a
projectile A projectile is an object that is propelled by the application of an external force and then moves freely under the influence of gravity and air resistance. Although any objects in motion through space are projectiles, they are commonly found ...
, or a
rocket A rocket (from , and so named for its shape) is a vehicle that uses jet propulsion to accelerate without using any surrounding air. A rocket engine produces thrust by reaction to exhaust expelled at high speed. Rocket engines work entirely ...
applying
thrust Thrust is a reaction force described quantitatively by Newton's third law. When a system expels or accelerates mass in one direction, the accelerated mass will cause a force of equal magnitude but opposite direction to be applied to that ...
(compare the derivation of the Tsiolkovsky rocket equation).


Animal locomotion

Collisions of an animal's foot or paw with the underlying substrate are generally termed ground reaction forces. These collisions are inelastic, as kinetic energy is not conserved. An important research topic in
prosthetics In medicine, a prosthesis (: prostheses; from ), or a prosthetic implant, is an artificial device that replaces a missing body part, which may be lost through physical trauma, disease, or a condition present at birth (congenital disorder). Prosthe ...
is quantifying the forces generated during the foot-ground collisions associated with both disabled and non-disabled gait. This quantification typically requires subjects to walk across a
force platform Force platforms or force plates are measuring instruments that measure the ground reaction forces generated by a body standing on or moving across them, to quantify balance, gait and other parameters of biomechanics. Most common areas of applic ...
(sometimes called a "force plate") as well as detailed
kinematic In physics, kinematics studies the geometrical aspects of motion of physical objects independent of forces that set them in motion. Constrained motion such as linked machine parts are also described as kinematics. Kinematics is concerned with s ...
and dynamic (sometimes termed kinetic) analysis.


Hypervelocity impacts

Hypervelocity is very high
velocity Velocity is a measurement of speed in a certain direction of motion. It is a fundamental concept in kinematics, the branch of classical mechanics that describes the motion of physical objects. Velocity is a vector (geometry), vector Physical q ...
, approximately over 3,000 meters per second (11,000 km/h, 6,700 mph, 10,000 ft/s, or
Mach The Mach number (M or Ma), often only Mach, (; ) is a dimensionless quantity in fluid dynamics representing the ratio of flow velocity past a Boundary (thermodynamic), boundary to the local speed of sound. It is named after the Austrian physi ...
8.8). In particular, hypervelocity is velocity so high that the strength of materials upon impact is very small compared to
inertia Inertia is the natural tendency of objects in motion to stay in motion and objects at rest to stay at rest, unless a force causes the velocity to change. It is one of the fundamental principles in classical physics, and described by Isaac Newto ...
l stresses. Thus,
metal A metal () is a material that, when polished or fractured, shows a lustrous appearance, and conducts electrical resistivity and conductivity, electricity and thermal conductivity, heat relatively well. These properties are all associated wit ...
s and
fluid In physics, a fluid is a liquid, gas, or other material that may continuously motion, move and Deformation (physics), deform (''flow'') under an applied shear stress, or external force. They have zero shear modulus, or, in simpler terms, are M ...
s behave alike under hypervelocity impact. An impact under extreme hypervelocity results in
vaporization Vaporization (or vapo(u)risation) of an element or compound is a phase transition from the liquid phase to vapor. There are two types of vaporization: evaporation and boiling. Evaporation is a surface phenomenon, whereas boiling is a bulk phenome ...
of the impactor and target. For structural metals, hypervelocity is generally considered to be over 2,500 m/s (5,600 mph, 9,000 km/h, 8,200 ft/s, or Mach 7.3).
Meteorite A meteorite is a rock (geology), rock that originated in outer space and has fallen to the surface of a planet or Natural satellite, moon. When the original object enters the atmosphere, various factors such as friction, pressure, and chemical ...
craters are also examples of hypervelocity impacts.


See also

* Ballistic pendulum *
Coefficient of restitution In physics, the coefficient of restitution (COR, also denoted by ''e''), can be thought of as a measure of the elasticity of a collision between two bodies. It is a dimensionless parameter defined as the ratio of the relative velocity of sepa ...
*
Collision detection Collision detection is the computational problem of detecting an intersection of two or more objects in virtual space. More precisely, it deals with the questions of ''if'', ''when'' and ''where'' two or more objects intersect. Collision detect ...
*
Contact mechanics Contact mechanics is the study of the Deformation (mechanics), deformation of solids that touch each other at one or more points. A central distinction in contact mechanics is between Stress (mechanics), stresses acting perpendicular to the cont ...
*
Elastic collision In physics, an elastic collision occurs between two physical objects in which the total kinetic energy of the two bodies remains the same. In an ideal, perfectly elastic collision, there is no net loss of kinetic energy into other forms such a ...
*
Friction Friction is the force resisting the relative motion of solid surfaces, fluid layers, and material elements sliding against each other. Types of friction include dry, fluid, lubricated, skin, and internal -- an incomplete list. The study of t ...
*
Impact crater An impact crater is a depression (geology), depression in the surface of a solid astronomical body formed by the hypervelocity impact event, impact of a smaller object. In contrast to volcanic craters, which result from explosion or internal c ...
*
Impact event An impact event is a collision between astronomical objects causing measurable effects. Impact events have been found to regularly occur in planetary systems, though the most frequent involve asteroids, comets or meteoroids and have minimal effe ...
* Inelastic collision *
Kinetic theory of gases The kinetic theory of gases is a simple classical model of the thermodynamic behavior of gases. Its introduction allowed many principal concepts of thermodynamics to be established. It treats a gas as composed of numerous particles, too small ...
- collisions between
molecule A molecule is a group of two or more atoms that are held together by Force, attractive forces known as chemical bonds; depending on context, the term may or may not include ions that satisfy this criterion. In quantum physics, organic chemi ...
s *
Projectile A projectile is an object that is propelled by the application of an external force and then moves freely under the influence of gravity and air resistance. Although any objects in motion through space are projectiles, they are commonly found ...


Notes


References

* Reissued (1979) New York: Dover {{ISBN, 0-486-63896-0.


External links


Three Dimensional Collision
- Oblique inelastic collision between two homogeneous spheres.
One Dimensional Collision
- One Dimensional Collision Flash Applet.
Two Dimensional Collision
- Two Dimensional Collision Flash Applet. Mechanics hu:Ütközés