Written by the Fiveable Content Team โข Last updated September 2025
Verified for the 2026 exam
Verified for the 2026 examโขWritten by the Fiveable Content Team โข Last updated September 2025
Definition
Collision time refers to the duration during which two objects are in contact with each other during a collision. It represents how long forces act on each other causing changes in their velocities.
Conservation of momentum states that for any closed system, such as colliding objects, the total momentum before and after a collision remains constant as long as no external forces are present.