Elastic Collisions: What Happens When Billiard Balls Collide?

Is the collision of two billiard balls an example of elastic collision?

When a ball at a billiard table hits another ball, is it an example of elastic collision?

Answer:

Yes, the collision of two billiard balls is an example of elastic collision.

When a ball at a billiard table hits another ball, it demonstrates an example of an elastic collision. An elastic collision is a type of collision where kinetic energy is preserved throughout the interaction.

In an elastic collision, there is no change in the overall kinetic energy and momentum of the system. This means that the total kinetic energy before the collision is equal to the total kinetic energy after the collision. In this case, the collision of the billiard balls follows the principles of an elastic collision.

It is important to note that in an elastic collision, momentum is always conserved. While inelastic collisions result in a loss of some kinetic energy, elastic collisions do not experience any loss of energy during the collision process.

Although perfectly elastic collisions are rare in real-life scenarios, the collision of billiard balls is considered an example of an elastic collision because the energy loss during the interaction is negligible. Other examples of perfectly elastic collisions can be observed in atomic-level collisions.

Overall, when a billiard ball hits another ball, it exemplifies an elastic collision where kinetic energy is preserved and momentum is conserved.