Game Development Reference
In-Depth Information
Generally speaking, the harder the objects are that collide, the closer the collision will be
to being elastic. The collision of two marbles, for instance, will be a nearly elastic collision. On
the other hand, the collision of a beanbag on the floor will be an inelastic collision.
Figure 6-2.
If the relative pre- and post-collision velocities are equal, the collision is elastic.
Two-Body Linear Collisions
Let's apply what you have learned about the impulse of force and the conservation of linear
momentum to the problem of analyzing a two-body linear collision. We will start with a simpli-
fied problem by assuming that the two objects are spheres and that their motion is restricted to
the x-y plane. Figure 6-3 shows a general two-body collision in the x-y plane. The objects have
some initial velocities
v
1
and
v
2
and masses
m
1
and
m
2
.
v
2
m
2
m
1
v
1
y
x
Figure 6-3.
Schematic of a two-body linear collision
