Inelastic Collision

Collisions

Two objects collide and stick together — watch momentum stay conserved while kinetic energy is lost to deformation.

What you can control

slider: mass 1 (kg)
slider: mass 2 (kg)
slider: initial speed of object 1 (m/s)
button: start
button: pause
button: reset

How this simulation works

Use the Mass 1 and Mass 2 sliders to set each object's weight (in kg), and the Initial Speed slider to set how fast object 1 starts moving — object 2 begins at rest. Press Start to trigger the collision, Pause to freeze mid-motion, and Reset to return both objects to their starting positions. When they collide, the two objects stick together and continue as a single combined mass. Momentum is conserved through the collision, but kinetic energy is not — some of it is lost to deformation.