Main Difference
The main difference between elastic collision and inelastic collision is that the elastic collision is a type of collision in which the kinetic energy remains same before and after the collision, whereas the inelastic collision is a type of collision in which the kinetic energy does not remain same before and after the collision.
Elastic Collision vs. Inelastic Collision
An elastic collision refers to the type of collision in which the kinetic energy remains same throughout the whole collision, whereas the inelastic collision refers to the type of collision in which the kinetic energy does not remain same or conserved throughout the whole collision. An elastic collision is a process in which the heat is not produced on the flip side; an inelastic collision is a process in which the heat is produced.
An elastic collision is a type of collision in which the body comes back after the collision without any type twist or change; on the other hand, the inelastic collision is a type of collision in which the body comes back after the collision with the change in shape or twist. In an elastic collision, the energy never wastes while in an inelastic collision, energy always wastes.
In an elastic collision, forces during the collision do not change into other forms and remain the same, whereas, in an inelastic collision, forces during the collision change into other forms and do not remain the same. An elastic collision always occurs in gas molecules and air molecules while the inelastic collision always occurs in liquids and solids. An elastic collision is only justifiable for sub-atomic particles, whereas the inelastic collision is only justifiable for macro-objects.
Comparison Chart
| Elastic Collision | Inelastic Collision |
| An elastic collision is a type of collision in which the law of conservation of energy and law of conservation of momentum remains conserved. | An inelastic collision is a type of collision in which only the law of conservation of momentum remains conserved. |
| Kinetic Energy | |
| Conserved | Not conserved |
| Heat Energy | |
| No heat Produced | Heat produced |
| Deformation | |
| No deformation | Deformation in shape and size |
| Wastage of Energy | |
| No wastage of energy | Wastage of energy |
| Conversions of Forces | |
| Forces do not change into other forms of energy | Forces change into other forms of energy |
| Occur In | |
| In gases and air molecules | In liquids and solids |
What is an Elastic Collision?
An elastic collision is a process in which the forms of energy remain the same during the whole process. It is the type of collision in which the kinetic energy remains the same during the bouncing of a body. It is the process in which law of conservation of energy and law of conservation of momentum is valid. The momentum during the whole collision remains the same.
It is the process in heat. It is not produced. In an elastic collision, the change in shape and size does not occur. The body does not have any deformation during the whole collision process. In an elastic collision, forms of energy do not waste. Elastic collision always occurs in gas molecules and also in air molecules. In this type of collision, the forces acting on the body do not convert into other forms of energy.
It is only justifiable for micro-particles. In our daily life, the perfectly elastic collision does not occur. Because in every process, there is always a loss of a small amount of energy from the system and converted into other forms of energy. We can also call this collision an ideal collision.
During the process of elastic collision, kinetic is not converted into other forms of energy such as the sound energy, heat energy, light energy, etc. and not changes into the other changing forms of in the solids. It is the process of exchanging the different properties of the matter. The examples are the bouncing of a rubber ball on the marble floor, and the bouncing of rubber on the smooth surface, etc.
What is an Inelastic Collision?
An inelastic collision is a process in which the other forms of energy do not remain the same during the whole process. It is the process in which the kinetic energy does not remain the same during the bouncing of a body. It is the process in which law of conservation of momentum of a system remains conserved before and after the collision. But the law of conservation of energy of a system does not remain the same before and after the collision.
It is the process in which the heat is produced. In an inelastic collision, the change in shape and size of the body occur. The body has some deformation during the whole process. In an inelastic collision, energy is wasted during the whole process. In inelastic collisions occur in liquids and solids. In this type of collision, the forces acting on the body is converted into other forms of energy.
It is only justifiable for macro-objects. In our daily life, all kinds of collisions are usually inelastic collisions. As we dropped the object onto the floor, the kinetic energy of the object is converted into the sound energy, heat energy, and energy of the movement of the breaking particles. The examples are the bouncing of a plastic ball on the rough surface, and the bouncing of a plastic ball on the hard surface, etc.
Key Differences
Conclusion
The above discussion concludes that the elastic collision and inelastic collision both are types of collision. An elastic collision is a type of collision in which there is no net change in kinetic energy during the whole process while an inelastic collision is a type of collision in which a net loss of kinetic energy during the whole process.
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