Two cars collide head on. In which of the following scenarios would you expect the occupants to suffer greater injury?
(a) The cars stick together
(b) The cars rebound
Explain your answer.
By logic, it's A. But why?
(a) The cars stick together
(b) The cars rebound
Explain your answer.
By logic, it's A. But why?
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Yes it's A, because there is minimal kinetic energy after the collision, so most of the kinetic energy has been used in deforming the cars and the occupants. That's the inelastic collision. Momentum is still conserved, but energy is not. Deformation energy is "lost" but the damage it causes lasts forever.
B is the eleastic collision, in which kinetic energy is also conserved, so mimimal deformation energy and hence minimal damage to the cars and the occupants (if they can survive the g forces).
B is the eleastic collision, in which kinetic energy is also conserved, so mimimal deformation energy and hence minimal damage to the cars and the occupants (if they can survive the g forces).