Work, Power and Energy

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Question : 14
Total: 30
A molecule in a gas container hits a horizontal wall with speed 200 m s1 and angle 30° with the normal, and rebounds with the speed. Is momentum conserved in the collision? Is the collision elastic or inelastic?
Solution:  
Yes, momentum of the molecule + wall system is conserved. The wall has a recoil momentum such that the momentum of the wall + momentum of the outgoing molecule equals momentum of the incoming molecule, assuming the wall to be stationary initially. However, the recoil momentum produces negligible velocity because of the large mass of the wall. Since kinetic energy is also conserved, the collision is elastic.
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