Which of the following best describes a rubber ball hitting a gymnasium wall?

Question

Group of answer choices

an elastic collision

both an inelastic and elastic collision

neither an inelastic nor elastic collision

an inelastic collision

Answer 1

The best choice that describes a rubber ball hitting a gymnasium wall is an elastic collision.

In an elastic collision, both momentum and kinetic energy are conserved. A rubber ball typically bounces back to nearly its original speed and shape after hitting a wall, indicating that it retains much of its kinetic energy. Thus, this collision can be characterized as elastic.

In practice, it may not be perfectly elastic due to some energy loss in the form of sound or heat, but for the purposes of this question, the most appropriate answer is "an elastic collision."