Contents
Key Stage 3
Key Stage 4
Meaning
To collide is for two or more objects to come into contact and impart a force onto one another to change their motion.
About Collisions
- Two objects which are moving may collide with one another.
- When one object is stationery the object which is moving is said to collide with an object that is not moving. For example I collided with a lamppost, the lamppost did not collide with me.
References
AQA
- Collisions, pages 150-157, GCSE Physics; Third Edition, Oxford University Press, AQA
- Collisions, pages 169-70, GCSE Physics, Hodder, AQA
- Collisions, pages 245-6, GCSE Combined Science Trilogy 2, Hodder, AQA
Edexcel
- Collisions, page 23, GCSE Physics, Pearson Edexcel
- Collisions, page 307, GCSE Combined Science, Pearson Edexcel
- Collisions; momentum, page 25, GCSE Physics, Pearson Edexcel
- Collisions; momentum, page 309, GCSE Combined Science, Pearson Edexcel
OCR
Key Stage 5
Meaning
Collisions are interactions between particles or bodies where they exert forces on each other for a short duration.
About Collisions
- Collisions can be elastic or inelastic.
- In elastic collisions, both momentum and kinetic energy are conserved.
- In inelastic collisions, momentum is conserved but kinetic energy is not.
- Collisions can be analyzed using the principles of conservation of momentum and energy.
- The outcome of a collision depends on the relative velocities, masses, and properties of the colliding bodies.
- In perfectly inelastic collisions, the colliding bodies stick together after impact.
- Collision analysis is crucial in understanding phenomena in mechanics, astrophysics, and particle physics.
Examples
- Billiard balls colliding is an example of nearly elastic collisions.
- Car crashes typically involve inelastic collisions where the vehicles deform and kinetic energy is converted to other forms of energy.