Work, Power and Energy

Question : 29

Total: 30

Which of the following potential energy curves in figure cannot possibly describe the elastic collision of two billiard balls? Here r is the distance between centres of the balls.

Solution:

The potential energy of a system of two masses varies inversely as the distance (r) between them, i.e., V(r)∝

. When the two billiard balls touch eath other. P.E. become zero i.e. at r=R+R=2R; V(r)=0. Out of the given graphs, curve (v) only satisfies these two conditions. Therefore, all other curves cannot possibly describe the elastic collision of two billiard balls.

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