Hello,

 

Could someone please explain how to describe the collision between two spheres (in two dimensions, for simplicity), if friction is to be taken into consideration.

 

Since the collision happens instantaneously, I suppose the most useful / correct way to describe it would be to use impulse rather than force.

 

cheers,

Michael

IMO it's easier to talk about energies...

 

Basically you'd take friction into account by including energy losses from the system by air resistance and friction on the surface on which they're moving.

 

You can also take into account heating of the balls due to the collision (probably tiny) and the sound given off in a similar way.

Edited August 25, 200817 yr by Klaynos
typo corrections.

If the collisions are off-center then you have conservation of angular momentum in addition to linear momentum (well, you had it anyway in the colinear case, but it was zero for each)

it is basicly what Klaynos said

think energy

if the spheres are perfectly aligned during the colision

 

[math]Ec_{o} = Ec_{f} - Ec_{lost}[/math]