To learn the basic physics of collisions between high-energy particles. Particle

Question

To learn the basic physics of collisions between high-energy particles. Particle accelerators are used to create well-controlled beams of high-energy particles. Such beams have many uses, both in research and industry. One promising line of research has been in exploring the collisions between the accelerated particles. In such collisions, new particles can be formed. The kinetic energy of the colliding particles helps trigger transformations that rarely--if ever--occur in nature: For instance, new particles can be formed. It is, therefore, essential for a researcher to determine the amount of energy available to initiate such transformations. Let us recall some basic mechanics to explain why the available energy is usually less than the total kinetic energy of the colliding particles. Consider a particle of mass m moving at a speed v. It collides head-on with a particle of mass M.

a. What sort of particle collision would generate the maximum amount of heat?

perfectly elastic
partially elastic
perfectly inelastic
partially inelastic

Explanation / Answer

A perfectly inelastic collision (also known as a plastic collision) occurs when the maximum amount of kinetic energy of a system is lost.

Hence,

perfectly inelastic

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