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Five atoms are colored red so their paths of motion are easier to see. In physics, an elastic collision is an encounter (collision) between two bodies in which the total kinetic energy of the two bodies remains the same. In an ideal, perfectly elastic collision, there is no net conversion of kinetic energy into other forms such as heat, noise ...
An inelastic collision, in contrast to an elastic collision, is a collision in which kinetic energy is not conserved due to the action of internal friction. In collisions of macroscopic bodies, some kinetic energy is turned into vibrational energy of the atoms, causing a heating effect, and the bodies are deformed.
e = 0: This is a perfectly inelastic collision. 0 < e < 1: This is a real-world inelastic collision, in which some kinetic energy is dissipated. e = 1: This is a perfectly elastic collision, in which no kinetic energy is dissipated, and the objects rebound from one another with the same relative speed with which they approached.
From this perspective, Compton scattering could be considered elastic because the internal state of the electron does not change during the scattering process. In the latter perspective, the atom's state is change, constituting an inelastic collision. Whether Compton scattering is considered elastic or inelastic depends on which perspective is ...
Faster electrons lose most of their speed in inelastic collisions. The lost kinetic energy is deposited into the mercury atom. The atom subsequently emits light, and returns to its original state. Franck and Hertz explained their experiment in terms of elastic and inelastic collisions between the electrons and the mercury atoms.
If kinetic energy is lost, it is an inelastic collision. The diagram does not show whether the illustrated collision was elastic or inelastic, because no velocities are provided. The most one can say is that the collision was not perfectly inelastic, because in that case the ball would have stuck to the wall.
Elasticity coefficient. For the ratio between the initial and final velocities in a collision, see Coefficient of restitution. For others, see Elasticity. In chemistry, the rate of a chemical reaction is influenced by many different factors, such as temperature, pH, reactant, the concentration of products, and other effectors.
Inelastic scattering. In chemistry, nuclear physics, and particle physics, inelastic scattering is a process in which the internal states of a particle or a system of particles change after a collision. Often, this means the kinetic energy of the incident particle is not conserved (in contrast to elastic scattering).