A golf ball is thrown at and bounces backward from a massive bowling ball that is initially at rest. After the collision, compared to the golf ball, the bowling ball has more

Question

Quizplus · Accepted Answer

Because momentum is conserved in the collision, the golf ball loses momentum and the bowling ball gains the same amount of momentum in the opposite direction. However, since the bowling ball is much more massive than the golf ball, its velocity changes very little and therefore its kinetic energy is still very low. Hence, the bowling ball has more momentum but less kinetic energy compared to the golf ball.

A Golf Ball Is Thrown at and Bounces Backward from a Massive