Collisions between which pairs of objects is likely to be most nearly elastic?
A) A steel ball and a cotton ball
B) Two steel balls
C) A steel ball and a baseball
D) Two baseballs

Question

Quizplus · Accepted Answer

Elastic collisions are those in which the objects bounce off each other without any loss of kinetic energy. When two objects have the same material, such as in the case of two steel balls, then the collision is likely to be most nearly elastic. In contrast, when one object is much softer than the other, such as in the case of a steel ball and a cotton ball or a steel ball and a baseball, then the collision will not be as nearly elastic because the softer object will absorb some of the kinetic energy. Therefore, the collision between two steel balls is the most likely to be nearly elastic.

Collisions Between Which Pairs of Objects Is Likely to Be