This applet illustrates
elastic collisions of two point masses.
The user enters the ratio of the target mass to the projectile mass and
the ratio of the projectile's final speed to its initial speed, and the
applet animates the collision in the target rest frame and in the center
of mass frame. The position of the center of mass is indicated by the
light gray line in the target rest frame.
Instructions for use
- Enter the ratio of the target mass to the projectile mass using the
scrollbar provided.
- Enter the ratio of the projectile's final speed to its initial speed
using the scrollbar provided. The order of the first two steps is not
important.
- Click "launch".
- Repeat as often as desired. To clear the screen, click "clear".