2-D Collision Simulator
The 2-D Collision Simulator provides a virtual collision space for analyzing collisions occurring in one or two dimensions. Learners can set the pre-collision motion parameters of the two colliding objects. This includes their mass, x-position, y-position, radius, x-velocity, y-velocity, The coefficient of restitution can also be controlled, allowing for perfectly elastic collisions, a range of inelastic collisions, and perfectly inelastic collisions. Finally, the initial direction of the two objects can be set, allowing learners to study collisions that occur in two dimensions.
Users are encouraged to open the Interactive and explore. For a more guided experience, The Physics Classroom has prepared two classroom-ready activity sheets for use by teachers with their classrooms.
Activity 1: The Elasticity of Collisions
Activity 2: Analyzing a Glancing Collision
Learners and Instructors may also be interested in viewing the accompanying
Notes page. Technical information, teaching suggestions, and related resources that complement this Interactive are provided on the Notes page. View
Notes.
We owe a special thanks to Physics teacher Martin Kirby for donating the Two-Dimensional Collision Simulator to our Interactives collection. Martin has contributed many other simulations to our Interactives collection. You can view them all by visiting our page listing all
Martin Kirby Simulations. Or visit Martin's website (
kirbyx.com) to learn more.