Question

Identify the conditions for an inelastic collision in a closed system. Check all that apply.

Energy is conserved.
Momentum is conserved
Kinetic energy is conserved.
Objects always stick together after an inelastic collision.
One object may be stationary before an inelastic collision.

Answer 1

Correct choices:
- Energy is conserved. — Yes (total energy, including internal energy, is conserved in a closed system).
- Momentum is conserved. — Yes (linear momentum is conserved in an isolated system).

Incorrect or not generally true:
- Kinetic energy is conserved. — No (kinetic energy is not conserved in an inelastic collision; some is converted to internal energy).
- Objects always stick together after an inelastic collision. — No (they only stick in a perfectly inelastic collision).
- One object may be stationary before an inelastic collision. — Not a required condition (it can be true in a particular collision but is not a defining condition).