Final answer:
The car hitting and pushing the garbage can is an inelastic collision because kinetic energy is not conserved and instead is transformed into other forms of energy, whereas momentum is conserved.
Step-by-step explanation:
When a car bumps into a garbage can and pushes it down the driveway, it is considered an inelastic collision. In an inelastic collision, the internal kinetic energy is not conserved. Instead, some of the kinetic energy is transformed into other forms such as sound, heat energy, or is used for deforming the garbage can. This energy transformation occurs because work done by internal forces changes the forms of energy within a system. While momentum is conserved in almost all types of collisions, kinetic energy is not conserved in inelastic collisions.