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Elastic collision question (G484)

This question seems kinda dumb, but I don't know what kind of answer is expected (it's out of the CGP guide). Maybe I'm just too hung up on the wording...

"Describe what happens when a tiny object makes an elastic collision with a massive object, any why."

So it's an elastic collision; KE and momentum are conserved.

But are either of the objects stationary? Is one travelling faster than the other? Is it a head-on collision, or does one hit the other from behind?

Does the fact it says "tiny object makes..." imply that it's the smaller one hitting the big one?

All I think I can really say atm is that the tiny object is going to have little effect on the velocity of the larger object, and similarly, even if the larger object was travelling at a relatively slow speed, it could still accelerate the tiny object by a large amount.

Thanks.
Original post by edd1234
This question seems kinda dumb, but I don't know what kind of answer is expected (it's out of the CGP guide). Maybe I'm just too hung up on the wording...

"Describe what happens when a tiny object makes an elastic collision with a massive object, any why."

So it's an elastic collision; KE and momentum are conserved.

But are either of the objects stationary? Is one travelling faster than the other? Is it a head-on collision, or does one hit the other from behind?

Does the fact it says "tiny object makes..." imply that it's the smaller one hitting the big one?

All I think I can really say atm is that the tiny object is going to have little effect on the velocity of the larger object, and similarly, even if the larger object was travelling at a relatively slow speed, it could still accelerate the tiny object by a large amount.

Thanks.


Either can be but not both obviously.

Say both tend to the right the one furthest on the left would have to be travelling at a higher collision than the one on the right so a collision can ensue.

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