Question

test information
description
instructions from the list of choices, select the one best answer.
multiple attempts not allowed. this test can only be taken once.
force completion this test can be saved and resumed later.
your answers are saved automatically.
question completion status:
1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 17 18 19 20 21
moving to another question will save this response.
question 17
which one of the following is characteristic of an inelastic collision?
total energy is not conserved.
kinetic energy is not conserved.
the change in momentum is less than the total impulse.
total mass is not conserved.
linear momentum is not conserved.

Explanation:

In an inelastic collision, total energy (including forms like heat, sound from deformation) is conserved (so "Total energy is not conserved" is wrong). According to the law of conservation of mass, total mass is conserved (so "Total mass is not conserved" is wrong). By the impulse - momentum theorem \(J=\Delta p\) (where \(J\) is impulse and \(\Delta p\) is change in momentum), so "The change in momentum is less than the total impulse" is wrong. In an inelastic collision, linear momentum is conserved (so "Linear momentum is not conserved" is wrong). But kinetic energy is not conserved because some kinetic energy is transformed into other forms of energy (e.g., internal energy due to deformation).

Answer:

Kinetic energy is not conserved.