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Two objects collide and bounce apart. Assuming no outside forces act on the system, which best describes the total momentum after the collision?

It is always greater than it was before the collision.
It is often greater than it was before the collision.
It is always the same as it was before the collision.
It is often the same as it was before the collision.

2 Answers

5 votes
It is always the same as it was before the collision because there is no outside forces it is left with the same amount of energy throughout thee collision.
User Akhanubis
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3 votes

Answer:

It is always the same as it was before the collision.

Step-by-step explanation:

When a collision happens, the system formed by the two objects only is affected by the internal forces of it. Because of that, the system is considered isolated.

For an isolated system, the momentum is conserved, so, it is always equal at the beginning and the end of the process observed. So, the momentum after a collision is always the same it was before the collision.

User Defaultcheckbox
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