Conceptual Questions

1. Explain the difference between elastic and inelastic collisions.
2. How does the center of mass of a system move when no external forces act?
3. Describe how impulse relates to the change in momentum.
4. Why is total momentum conserved in collisions?
5. Explain why kinetic energy is not conserved in inelastic collisions.
6. How does mass distribution affect the center of mass of a system?
7. Illustrate how 2D collisions conserve momentum in both x and y directions.
8. Describe an example of an inelastic collision in everyday life.
9. How does an external force acting on a system affect its center of mass motion?
10. Why are impulse and momentum concepts useful in analyzing collisions?