Q14 A molecule in a gas container hits a horizontal wall with speed and angle 30o with the normal, and rebounds with the same speed. Is momentum conserved in the collision? Is the collision elastic or inelastic?
The momentum is conserved in the collision as no external force is acting on the system. In the given case the rebound velocity is the same as the initial velocity thus the kinetic energy of the molecule initially and finally are same. Hence this is an elastic collision.