ASTB Mechanical Comprehension Practice Exam 2025 – Full Prep Guide

Question: 1 / 400

Which statement characterizes a perfectly elastic collision?

Only momentum is conserved

Only kinetic energy is converted to potential energy

Both momentum and kinetic energy are conserved

In a perfectly elastic collision, both momentum and kinetic energy are conserved. This means that the total momentum of the system (the combined momentum of all objects involved in the collision) before the collision is equal to the total momentum of the system after the collision. Similarly, the total kinetic energy (the energy of motion) of the objects before the collision remains equal to that after the collision.

This principle applies in ideal conditions where there are no losses due to heat, sound, or deformation of the objects involved. Common examples of perfectly elastic collisions are found in atomic and subatomic particle interactions, rather than macroscopic objects, since most real-world collisions experience some degree of inelasticity. Therefore, the correct characterization of a perfectly elastic collision is that both momentum and kinetic energy are conserved throughout the interaction.

Get further explanation with Examzify DeepDiveBeta

Neither momentum nor energy is conserved

Next Question

Report this question

Download ASTB Mechanical Comprehension Practice Exam 2025 – Full Prep Guide PDF Study Guide
Subscribe

Get the latest from Examzify

You can unsubscribe at any time. Read our privacy policy