Written by the Fiveable Content Team • Last updated August 2025
Verified for the 2026 exam
Verified for the 2026 exam•Written by the Fiveable Content Team • Last updated August 2025
Definition
An elastic collision is a type of collision where both momentum and kinetic energy are conserved before and after impact. The objects involved bounce off each other without any loss in energy.
An inelastic collision is a type of collision where kinetic energy is not conserved before and after impact. Some energy is lost, usually in the form of heat or deformation.
Coefficient of Restitution: The coefficient of restitution measures how bouncy a collision is by comparing the relative velocities before and after impact.
Conservation laws are fundamental principles that state certain quantities (such as momentum or energy) remain constant in isolated systems, even if their forms may change.