Two particles collide,one of them initially being at rest.Is it possible for both particles to be at rest after the collision?
A)If the collision is perfectly inelastic,then this happens.
B)If the collision is elastic,then this happens.
C)This can happen sometimes if the more massive particle was at rest.
D)No.

Question

Quizplus · Accepted Answer

In a collision, momentum is conserved. If one particle was moving and the other was at rest, the total system momentum was not zero. After the collision, for both particles to be at rest, the system's total momentum would have to be zero, which violates the conservation of momentum. Therefore, it's not possible for both particles to be at rest after the collision unless external forces act on the system, which is not implied in the given options.

Two Particles Collide,one of Them Initially Being at Rest