Types of Impact

Impacts can be classified into various types.

A central impact occurs when two objects collide head-on with opposite velocities aligned along the line of impact.

Oblique impact occurs when two objects collide at an angle, causing a change in direction and velocity.

The ratio of the relative velocity after and before the impact is the coefficient of restitution. It measures the elasticity of a collision and ranges from zero to one.

Factors like impact velocity, size, and shape of the colliding bodies affect the coefficient of restitution.

A perfectly elastic impact occurs when the coefficient of restitution is one, and there is no loss of kinetic energy. However, achieving perfect elasticity is impossible. During the collision, a part of kinetic energy is always lost in some form.

When the coefficient of restitution is zero, the impact is called a plastic impact, wherein the colliding particles stick together and move with a common velocity after the collision.

The coefficient of restitution determines the bounciness of an object. Higher values indicate a greater bounce-back with the original speed.