How is the energy of a system conserved in a collision?

The energy of a system is conserved in a collision due to the principle of conservation of energy.

When two objects collide, the total energy of the system before the collision is equal to the total energy after the collision. This is known as the principle of conservation of energy. Energy can be transferred between the objects during the collision, but the total energy of the system remains constant.

In an elastic collision, both kinetic energy and momentum are conserved. This means that the objects bounce off each other without any loss of energy. In a perfectly inelastic collision, the objects stick together after the collision and move as one object. In this case, kinetic energy is not conserved, but the total energy of the system is still conserved.

In a partially inelastic collision, some kinetic energy is lost as heat or sound, but the total energy of the system is still conserved. The amount of energy lost depends on the nature of the collision and the materials involved.

Overall, the conservation of energy is a fundamental principle in physics and is essential for understanding the behaviour of objects in collisions.