Which of the following best describes balls colliding with each other in a Newton’s cradle?

Question

Group of answer choices

both an inelastic and elastic collision

an inelastic collision

neither an inelastic nor elastic collision

an elastic collision

Answer 1

In a Newton's cradle, the balls collide with each other in a way that conserves both momentum and kinetic energy. This makes the collisions elastic. Therefore, the best description of the collisions between the balls in a Newton's cradle is:

an elastic collision.