Re: [Phys-L] elastic collisions

[bernard cleyet <bernard@cleyet.org>]

> On 2016/Dec/07, at 17:54, Carl Mungan <mungan@usna.edu> wrote:
>
> I think the conventional approach is to collect m1 terms on one side and m2
> terms on the other side of (1) and (2) to get, after canceling 1/2 in (2)
> and recognizing it as difference in squares:
>
> m1(v1i-v1f) = m2(v2f-v2i)
> m1(v1i-v1f)(v1i+v1f)=m2(v2f-v2i))(v2f+v2i)
>
> Dividing the second equation by the first then gives (5) immediately. Once
> you have (1) and (5), you have two linear equations that you can use to
> find (3) and (4) without too much trouble. -Carl


Now do this with a point mass and an extended one with the direction CoM to the contact point is not collinear with the direction of the moving point mass.  

bc