Conservation of momentum in a collision between particles can be under

Conservation of momentum in a collision between particles can be understood on the basis of:

[amp_mcq option1=”Newton’s first law of motion” option2=”Newton’s second law of motion only” option3=”Both Newton’s second law of motion and Newton’s third law of motion” option4=”Conservation of energy” correct=”option3″]

This question was previously asked in

UPSC NDA-2 – 2015

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Conservation of momentum for a system of particles is a direct consequence of Newton’s laws of motion. Specifically, when particles collide, the forces they exert on each other are internal forces within the system. Newton’s third law states that these forces are equal in magnitude and opposite in direction (action-reaction). Applying Newton’s second law (F = dp/dt) to each particle and summing over the system shows that the net internal force is zero, meaning the total momentum (sum of momenta of all particles) remains constant in the absence of external forces. Thus, conservation of momentum stems from both Newton’s second and third laws.

Conservation of momentum for a system relies on the principle of action-reaction (Newton’s third law) and the relationship between force and change in momentum (Newton’s second law).

Newton’s first law describes inertia. Conservation of energy is a separate fundamental principle, although in elastic collisions, both momentum and kinetic energy are conserved. In inelastic collisions, only momentum is conserved (assuming no external forces).

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