Final answer:
The statement that the total kinetic energy after an inelastic collision can be greater than the initial kinetic energy is false. In an inelastic collision, kinetic energy is not conserved and is partially converted to other forms of energy.
Step-by-step explanation:
In an inelastic collision, it is not true that the total kinetic energy after the interaction can be greater than the initial kinetic energy. Rather, an inelastic collision is characterised by a change in internal kinetic energy where it is not conserved. During an inelastic collision, some of the kinetic energy is converted into other forms of energy, such as thermal energy or potential energy.
In the case of a perfectly inelastic collision, where objects stick together and stop, nearly all of the initial internal kinetic energy is lost, and is mostly converted to these other forms.
Thus, the internal kinetic energy after the collision is less than it was before the collision. This is contrasted with an elastic collision, where kinetic energy is conserved, and objects separate after impact without any loss in their kinetic energy.
A well-known conservation law in these types of interactions is the law of conservation of momentum, which is applicable when the net external force on a system is zero.
Momentum is always conserved in collisions, but kinetic energy may not be, depending on whether the collision is elastic or inelastic. Hence, the correct answer to the statement is False.