Physical Principles & Mathematical Derivation
Even when colliding railroad cars lock couplers and dissipate kinetic energy as sound and deformation heat, zero external horizontal force acts on the pair — guaranteeing total momentum p_total and green COM marker velocity never waver!
Questions & Concepts
What physical equation governs Perfectly Inelastic Collision & Center-of-Mass Lab (e = 0)?
v_final = v_COM = (m₁v₁ + m₂v₂) / (m₁ + m₂) — Even when colliding railroad cars lock couplers and dissipate kinetic energy as sound and deformation heat, zero external horizontal force acts on the pair — guaranteeing total momentum p_total and green COM marker velocity never waver!
How are the equations of motion integrated in this simulation?
Nonlinear differential equations are integrated at 240–300 Hz substeps using classical 4th-order Runge-Kutta (RK4) to maintain strict Hamiltonian energy accuracy.