Advertisements
Advertisements
Question
Two blocks M1 and M2 having equal mass are free to move on a horizontal frictionless surface. M2 is attached to a massless spring as shown in figure. Iniially M2 is at rest and M1 is moving toward M2 with speed v and collides head-on with M2.

- While spring is fully compressed all the KE of M1 is stored as PE of spring.
- While spring is fully compressed the system momentum is not conserved, though final momentum is equal to initial momentum.
- If spring is massless, the final state of the M1 is state of rest.
- If the surface on which blocks are moving has friction, then collision cannot be elastic.
Advertisements
Solution
c and d
Explanation:
If it is not specified we always consider the collision elastic.
When two bodies of equal masses collide elastically, their velocities are interchanged in these types of collision.
Kinetic energy and linear momentum remain conserved.
According to the above diagram when m1 comes in contact with the spring, m1 is retarded by the spring force and m2 is accelerated by the spring force.
- The spring will continue to compress until the two blocks acquire a common velocity. So some of the kinetic energy of block Mx is stored in P.E and some part of it stores in K.E of block M2. So option (a) is incorrect.
- As surfaces are frictionless momentum of the system will be conserved. So option (b) is also incorrect.
- The two bodies of equal mass exchange their velocities in a head-on elastic collision between them. So, if spring is massless, the final state of the M1 is a state of rest.
- Since there is a loss of K.E when the blocks collide on the rough surface. Hence, the collision is inelastic.
APPEARS IN
RELATED QUESTIONS
The rate of change of total momentum of a many-particle system is proportional to the ______ on the system.
A molecule in a gas container hits a horizontal wall with speed 200 m s–1 and angle 30° with the normal, and rebounds with the same speed. Is momentum conserved in the collision? Is the collision elastic or inelastic?
A trolley of mass 200 kg moves with a uniform speed of 36 km/h on a frictionless track. A child of mass 20 kg runs on the trolley from one end to the other (10 m away) with a speed of 4 m s–1 relative to the trolley in a direction opposite to the its motion, and jumps out of the trolley. What is the final speed of the trolley? How much has the trolley moved from the time the child begins to run?
Which of the following potential energy curves in Fig. cannot possibly describe the elastic collision of two billiard balls? Here r is distance between centres of the balls.

Consider the decay of a free neutron at rest : n → p + e–
Show that the two-body decay of this type must necessarily give an electron of fixed energy and, therefore, cannot account for the observed continuous energy distribution in the β-decay of a neutron or a nucleus

Define coefficient of restitution.
Answer the following question.
Discuss the following as special cases of elastic collisions and obtain their exact or approximate final velocities in terms of their initial velocities.
- Colliding bodies are identical.
- A very heavy object collides on a lighter object, initially at rest.
- A very light object collides on a comparatively much massive object, initially at rest.
Solve the following problem.
A spring ball of mass 0.5 kg is dropped from some height. On falling freely for 10 s, it explodes into two fragments of mass ratio 1:2. The lighter fragment continues to travel downwards with a speed of 60 m/s. Calculate the kinetic energy supplied during the explosion.
Solve the following problem.
A marble of mass 2m travelling at 6 cm/s is directly followed by another marble of mass m with double speed. After a collision, the heavier one travels with the average initial speed of the two. Calculate the coefficient of restitution.
Two different unknown masses A and B collide. A is initially at rest when B has a speed v. After collision B has a speed v/2 and moves at right angles to its original direction of motion. Find the direction in which A moves after the collision.
A block of mass 'm' moving on a frictionless surface at speed 'v' collides elastically with a block of same mass, initially at rest. Now the first block moves at an angle 'θ' with its initial direction and has speed 'v1'. The speed of the second block after collision is ______.
A smooth sphere of mass 'M' moving with velocity 'u' directly collides elastically with another sphere of mass 'm' at rest. After collision, their final velocities are V' and V respectively. The value of V is given by ______.
Two identical ball bearings in contact with each other and resting on a frictionless table are hit head-on by another ball bearing of the same mass moving initially with a speed V as shown in figure.

If the collision is elastic, which of the following (Figure) is a possible result after collision?
In an elastic collision of two billiard balls, which of the following quantities remain conserved during the short time of collision of the balls (i.e., when they are in contact).
- Kinetic energy.
- Total linear momentum?
Give reason for your answer in each case.
Consider a one-dimensional motion of a particle with total energy E. There are four regions A, B, C and D in which the relation between potential energy V, kinetic energy (K) and total energy E is as given below:
Region A : V > E
Region B : V < E
Region C : K > E
Region D : V > K
State with reason in each case whether a particle can be found in the given region or not.
A particle of mass m with an initial velocity u`hat"i"` collides perfectly elastically with a mass 3m at rest. It moves with a velocity v`hat"j"` after collision, then, v is given by :
A drunkard walking in a narrow lane takes 5 steps forward and 3 steps backward, followed again by 5 steps forward and 3 steps backward, and so on. Each step is 1 m long and required 1 s to cover. How long the drunkard takes to fall in a pit 13 m away from the start?
The dimension of mutual inductance is ______.
In a collision, what type of interaction occurs between objects?
