Question

part a
in which type or kind of collision is momentum conserved: elastic or inelastic?

• momentum is conserved in neither elastic nor inelastic collisions.
• momentum is conserved only in elastic collisions.
• momentum is conserved only in inelastic collisions.
• momentum is conserved in elastic and inelastic collisions.

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Explanation:

To determine in which collisions momentum is conserved, we recall the principle of conservation of momentum: in a closed system (no external net force), the total momentum before a collision equals the total momentum after the collision. For both elastic (where kinetic energy is also conserved) and inelastic (where kinetic energy is not conserved, but some may be lost to other forms like heat) collisions, as long as there are no external net forces, momentum is conserved. So momentum is conserved in both elastic and inelastic collisions.

Answer:

D. Momentum is conserved in elastic and inelastic collisions.