Below are four everyday collision scenarios. Neglect external horizontal forces acting during each brief impact.
I. Two ice hockey pucks of equal mass glide toward each other on a nearly frictionless rink and bounce apart without sticking.
II. A lump of putty is thrown at, and sticks to, a stationary wall.
III. A tennis ball strikes the ground and rebounds to approximately three-quarters of its original drop height.
IV. Two identical bumper cars collide head-on and lock together because of interlocking rubber bumpers.
Consider the percentage of each system’s initial kinetic energy that is converted to other forms during the collision.
a. Rank the four scenarios from greatest to least percentage loss of kinetic energy, placing any ties on the same line.
b. For one scenario of your choice, describe the physical characteristics (material properties, deformation, sound, heat, etc.) that lead to the conversion of kinetic energy during the collision.
c. Explain why total momentum of each system can remain constant even though kinetic energy is not conserved.