Learning objectives
State the conditions under which the total linear momentum of a system is conserved, and justify why internal forces cannot change the momentum of the system as a whole
Apply conservation of momentum to collisions and explosions in one and two dimensions, treating each perpendicular direction as a separate equation
Distinguish an elastic collision, in which total kinetic energy is conserved, from inelastic and perfectly inelastic collisions, and calculate the kinetic energy transformed during an inelastic collision
Determine the common final velocity of objects that stick together, and the final velocities of two objects in a one-dimensional elastic collision
Justify a claim about whether a collision was elastic using momentum and kinetic energy calculated from motion-sensor or video data, and identify the system for which momentum is conserved
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