An elastic collision is a collision where total momentum and total kinetic energy is conserved.
This illustration shows two objects A and B traveling towards each other. The mass of A is mA and the moving with velocity VAi. The second object has a mass of mB and velocity VBi. The two objects collide elastically. Mass A moves away at a velocity VAf and mass B has a final velocity of VBf.
Given these conditions, textbooks give the following formulas for VAf and VBf.
and
where
mA is the mass of the first object
VAi is the initial velocity of the first object
VAf is the final velocity of the first object
mB is the mass of the second object
VBi is the initial velocity of the second object and
VBf is the final velocity of the second object.
These two equations are often just presented in this form in the textbook with little or no explanations. Very early in your science education, you will encounter the phrase “It can be shown …” between two steps of mathematics or “left as an exercise for the student”. This almost always translates into “homework problem”. This “It can be shown” example shows how to find the final velocities of two masses after an elastic collision.
This is a step by step derivation of these two equations.
First, we know total momentum is conserved in the collision.
total momentum before collision = total momentum after collision
mAVAi + mBVBi = mAVAf + mBVBf
Rearrange this equation so the same masses are on the same side as each other
mAVAi – mAVAf = mBVBf – mBVBi
Factor out the masses
mA(VAi – VAf) = mB(VBf – VBi)
Let’s call this Equation 1 and come back to it in a minute.
Since we were told the collision was elastic, the total kinetic energy is conserved.
kinetic energy before collision = kinetic energy after collection
½mAVAi2 + ½mBVBi2 = ½mAVAf2 + ½mBVBf2
Multiply the entire equation by 2 to get rid of the ½ factors.
mAVAi2 + mBVBi2 = mAVAf2 + mBVBf2
Rearrange the equation so the like masses are together.
mAVAi2 – mAVAf2 = mBVBf2 – mBVBi2
Factor out the common masses
mA(VAi2 – VAf2) = mB(VBf2 – VBi2)
Use the “difference between two squares” relationship (a2 – b2) = (a + b)(a – b) to factor out the squared velocities on each side.
mA(VAi + VAf)(VAi – VAf) = mB(VBf + VBi)(VBf – VBi)
Now we have two equations and two unknowns, VAf and VBf.
Divide this equation by equation 1 from before (the total momentum equation from above) to get

Now we can cancel out most of this

This leaves
VAi + VAf = VBf + VBi
Solve for VAf
VAf = VBf + VBi – VAi
Now we have one of our unknowns in terms of the other unknown variable. Plug this into the original total momentum equation
mAVAi + mBVBi = mAVAf + mBVBf
mAVAi + mBVBi = mA(VBf + VBi – VAi) + mBVBf
Now, solve this for the final unknown variable, VBf
mAVAi + mBVBi = mAVBf + mAVBi – mAVAi + mBVBf
subtract mAVBi from both sides and add mAVAi to both sides
mAVAi + mBVBi – mAVBi + mAVAi = mAVBf + mBVBf
2mAVAi + mBVBi – mAVBi = mAVBf + mBVBf
factor out the masses
2 mAVAi + (mB – mA)VBi = (mA + mB)VBf
Divide both sides by (mA + mB)


Now we know the value of one of the unknowns, VBf. Use this to find the other unknown variable, VAf. Earlier, we found
VAf = VBf + VBi – VAi
Plug in our VBf equation and solve for VAf

Group the terms with the same velocities

The common denominator for both sides is (mA + mB)


Be careful of your signs in the first half of the expressions in this step


Now we’ve solved for both unknowns VAf and VBf in terms of known values.


Note these match the equations we were supposed to find.
This was not a difficult problem, but there were a couple spots to trip you up.
First, all the subscripts can get tangled up if you aren’t careful or neat in your handwriting.
Second, sign errors. Subtracting a pair of variables inside parentheses will change the sign on BOTH variables. It is all too easy to carelessly turn – (a + b) into -a + b instead of -a – b.
Last, learn the difference between two squares factor. a2 – b2 = (a + b)(a – b) is an extremely useful factoring trick when trying to cancel something out of an equation.