perfektinelastic

perfektinelastic is a term used in physics, specifically in the context of collisions. It describes a theoretical scenario where two colliding objects stick together completely after the collision, forming a single, unified mass. In such a collision, the maximum possible amount of kinetic energy is lost. This lost kinetic energy is typically converted into other forms, such as heat, sound, or deformation of the objects.

This concept is an idealization, meaning it rarely occurs in its purest form in real-world situations. However, it serves as a useful theoretical limit for understanding energy transfer during collisions. For example, a car crash where the vehicles become entangled and move as one unit after impact can be approximated as a perfectly inelastic collision.

In a perfectly inelastic collision, the total momentum of the system is conserved, as it is in all collisions where no external forces act. However, unlike elastic collisions where kinetic energy is also conserved, in a perfectly inelastic collision, the final kinetic energy is less than the initial kinetic energy. The degree of inelasticity can range from slightly inelastic to perfectly inelastic, depending on how much kinetic energy is lost.