When a particle suffers a head-on elastic collision with another particle, initially at rest, the greatest fraction of kinetic energy is transferred if:
A)the incident particle is initially traveling very fast
B)the incident particle is traveling very slowly
C)the incident particle is much more massive than the target particle
D)the incident particle is much less massive than the target particle
E)the incident and target particle have the same mass

Question

Quizplus · Accepted Answer

In a head-on elastic collision, the maximum transfer of kinetic energy from the incident particle to the target particle occurs when both particles have the same mass. This is because, in such a scenario, the incident particle comes to a complete stop, transferring all its kinetic energy to the target particle, assuming perfect elasticity.

When a Particle Suffers a Head-On Elastic Collision with Another