Final answer:
The total momentum of any system remains constant in any type of collision due to the law of conservation of momentum, regardless of whether the collision is elastic or inelastic.
Step-by-step explanation:
Yes, the total momentum does remain constant in any type of collision. The principle that ensures this behavior is known as the conservation of momentum. This principle applies to both elastic and inelastic collisions. In an elastic collision, both momentum and kinetic energy are conserved, which means that after the collision the total momentum and total kinetic energy are the same as they were before the collision. Contrastingly, in an inelastic collision, kinetic energy is not conserved, but the total momentum of the system still remains constant.
Consider two cars in a collision where they stick together after impact. The momentum before and after the collision, encompassing the total momentum of both cars, remains constant. Energy may be converted to other forms, such as heat or sound, but the total momentum is conserved due to the absence of external forces like friction. Similarly, if two objects of identical mass and speed hit each other and come to a rest, the total momentum is still zero before and after the collision, hence conserved.