calculate_elastic_collision
Compute final velocities after a 1D elastic collision using conservation of momentum and energy. Input masses and initial velocities to determine post-collision motion.
Instructions
Calculate final velocities after a 1D elastic collision.
Uses conservation of momentum and energy to solve for final velocities.
Assumes perfectly elastic collision (no energy loss).
Args:
mass1: Mass of first object in kg
velocity1: Initial velocity of first object in m/s (1D)
mass2: Mass of second object in kg
velocity2: Initial velocity of second object in m/s (1D)
Returns:
Dict containing:
- final_velocity1: Final velocity of object 1 in m/s
- final_velocity2: Final velocity of object 2 in m/s
- initial_kinetic_energy: Total KE before (J)
- final_kinetic_energy: Total KE after (J) - should equal initial
- initial_momentum: Total momentum before (kg⋅m/s)
- final_momentum: Total momentum after (kg⋅m/s) - should equal initial
Example - Pool ball collision:
result = await calculate_elastic_collision(
mass1=0.17, # kg (pool ball)
velocity1=2.0, # m/s (moving right)
mass2=0.17, # kg (pool ball)
velocity2=0.0 # m/s (stationary)
)
# Result: ball 1 stops, ball 2 moves at 2.0 m/sInput Schema
TableJSON Schema
| Name | Required | Description | Default |
|---|---|---|---|
| mass1 | Yes | ||
| velocity1 | Yes | ||
| mass2 | Yes | ||
| velocity2 | Yes |