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Setups other learners found interesting in 1D Collision simulation. Try one, then tweak it.

1D Collision simulation

Two bodies move along a line and collide. Momentum is always conserved in the collision; kinetic energy is conserved only if the collision is perfectly elastic. Set the masses, the initial velocities and the restitution, then read off the momentum and kinetic energy before and after to see which quantities survive.

Key formulas

$m_1 u_1 + m_2 u_2 = m_1 v_1 + m_2 v_2$
Conservation of momentum
$m_1$
Mass of body 1kg
$u_1$
Velocity of body 1 beforem/s
$m_2$
Mass of body 2kg
$u_2$
Velocity of body 2 beforem/s
$v_1$
Velocity of body 1 afterm/s
$v_2$
Velocity of body 2 afterm/s
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$v_1 = \dfrac{m_1 - m_2}{m_1 + m_2}\,u_1 + \dfrac{2 m_2}{m_1 + m_2}\,u_2$
Elastic collision, final velocity of body 1
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$e = \dfrac{v_2 - v_1}{u_1 - u_2}$
Coefficient of restitution
$e$
Coefficient of restitution
$u_1$
Velocity of body 1 beforem/s
$u_2$
Velocity of body 2 beforem/s
$v_1$
Velocity of body 1 afterm/s
$v_2$
Velocity of body 2 afterm/s
Open the formula card

Community presets

1D Collision simulation

Key formulas

Conservation of momentum

Elastic collision, final velocity of body 1

Coefficient of restitution

What you can change

Key concepts

1D Collision simulation

Key formulas

Conservation of momentum

Elastic collision, final velocity of body 1

Coefficient of restitution

What you can change

Key concepts

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