Which of the following statements about the conservation of momentum is true?
Practice Questions
Q1
Which of the following statements about the conservation of momentum is true?
Momentum is always conserved in all collisions
Momentum is conserved only in elastic collisions
Momentum is conserved only in inelastic collisions
Momentum is not conserved in any collision
Questions & Step-by-Step Solutions
Which of the following statements about the conservation of momentum is true?
Correct Answer: Momentum is conserved in all types of collisions, provided no external forces act on the system.
Step 1: Understand what momentum is. Momentum is the product of an object's mass and its velocity.
Step 2: Learn about collisions. Collisions can be elastic (objects bounce off each other) or inelastic (objects stick together).
Step 3: Know the principle of conservation of momentum. This principle states that in a closed system (no external forces), the total momentum before a collision equals the total momentum after the collision.
Step 4: Apply the principle to different types of collisions. In both elastic and inelastic collisions, if no external forces are acting, momentum is conserved.
Step 5: Conclude that the statement about momentum conservation is true when no external forces are present.
