During a partially elastic two-body collision, a piece breaks off one of the two bodies, creating a three-body interaction. Nevertheless, all of the following remain unchanged except
A) the velocity of the center of mass.
B) the speed of the center of mass.
C) the confinement of the final velocities of the two main particles to a single plane.
D) the total (vector) change in momentum.

Question

Quizplus · Accepted Answer

In a partially elastic collision where a piece breaks off, the principle of conservation of momentum ensures that the velocity and speed of the center of mass, as well as the total change in momentum, remain unchanged. However, the final velocities of the two main particles and the broken piece are not confined to a single plane due to the three-body interaction, making option C the correct answer.

During a Partially Elastic Two-Body Collision, a Piece Breaks Off