A piece of taffy slams into and sticks to another identical piece of taffy that is at rest.The momentum of the two pieces stuck together after the collision is the same as it was before the collision,but this is not true of the kinetic energy,which is partly turned into heat.What percentage of the kinetic energy is turned into heat?

Question

Quizplus · Accepted Answer

Since the collision involves objects sticking together, it is an inelastic collision. In an inelastic collision, both momentum and kinetic energy are not conserved. The fact that momentum is conserved means that the two pieces of taffy stick together and move with the same velocity as the initial piece that was in motion. However, some kinetic energy is transformed into heat during the collision and is not conserved. The percentage of kinetic energy that is transformed into heat can be calculated using the coefficient of restitution, which is not given in the problem. Therefore, the answer is not enough information given.

A Piece of Taffy Slams into and Sticks to Another