Answer:
The kinetic energy decreased 50 % after the inelastic collision.
Step-by-step explanation:
Since both ball collide and experiments an inelastic collision, the final velocity of the system is found by means of the Principle of Linear Momentum:
(1)
Where:
,
- Masses of the balls of clay, measured in kilograms.
,
- Speeds of the balls of clay before collision, measured in meters per second.
- Speed of the system after collision, measured in meters per second.
If we know that
,
and
, then the speed of the system after collision is:



The initial (
) and final kinetic energies of the system (
), measured in joules, are now described by the following equations:
(2)
(3)
And the percentage of lost energy due to inelastic collision is:
(4)
If we know that
,
,
and
, then the percentage of lost energy due to inelastic collision is:
![E_(o) = (1)/(2)\cdot \left[(0.055\,kg)\cdot \left(1.5\,(m)/(s) \right)^(2)+(0.055\,kg)\cdot \left(0\,(m)/(s) \right)^(2)\right]](https://img.qammunity.org/2022/formulas/physics/college/6vdqser4obkutlc9q3av0jkt6lus9ehkhw.png)





The kinetic energy decreased 50 % after the inelastic collision.