So, in an elastic collision, the objects bounce off each other like they're made of rubber - no energy is lost, and they just keep on moving. It's like a game of cosmic bumper cars! But, what if the collision isn't elastic? What if the objects stick together, like when you throw a piece of playdough at the wall, and it just sticks there?
In an inelastic collision, the objects do lose energy - they might heat up, or even break apart. It's like when you drop a toy, and it breaks into a million pieces - that's a pretty inelastic collision, right? But, with the Phet Simulation Collision Lab, you can experiment with all sorts of different collisions, and see what happens in each scenario.
