Question

How do you calculate what fraction of energy is lost in a collision? a) Subtract the final kinetic energy from the initial kinetic energy.

b) Divide the final kinetic energy by the initial kinetic energy.
c) Divide the change in kinetic energy by the initial kinetic energy.
d) Subtract the initial kinetic energy from the final kinetic energy.

Answer 1

To find the fraction of energy lost in a collision, calculate the change in kinetic energy by subtracting the final kinetic energy from the initial kinetic energy, and then divide this by the initial kinetic energy.

Step-by-step explanation:

To calculate what fraction of energy is lost in a collision, you should divide the change in kinetic energy by the initial kinetic energy. This is calculated using the following steps:

1. Compute the initial kinetic energy (KEinitial) of the objects involved in the collision.
2. Compute the final kinetic energy (KEfinal) after the collision.
3. Calculate the change in kinetic energy (ΔKE) by subtracting the final kinetic energy from the initial kinetic energy (KEinitial - KEfinal).
4. Divide the change in kinetic energy (ΔKE) by the initial kinetic energy (KEinitial) to find the fraction of energy that was lost.

For different scenarios, such as inelastic collisions or multiple frames of reference, additional variables and calculations might be required to fully understand the dynamics of the energy changes.