
    Dismiss Notice
Dismiss Notice
Join Physics Forums Today!

Homework Help: 3 body collision

  1. Oct 29, 2006 #1
    What equation should I use to represent a 3 body inelastic equation .. two ball of different masses falling together and colliding with the stationary ground.

    And any hints on deriving the two body equation shown below

    Attached Files:

  2. jcsd
  3. Oct 29, 2006 #2
    momentum before equals momentum after.

    or you could calculate the centre of mass. but that would only work for a two body collision (i think).
  4. Oct 29, 2006 #3

    Doc Al

    User Avatar

    Staff: Mentor

    Why don't you describe the exact problem you are trying to solve?
  5. Oct 29, 2006 #4
    Im writing a research essay on balls of different mass falling from a fixed height onto the floor. Divided into two parts, I first vary the mass of the top ball and then for the next part I vary the mass of the bigger base ball. No Im using the general inelastic equation.. attached above and I need to go about first deriving it and then incoporating a collision with the floor. So a 3 body collision?