Which equation expresses momentum conservation for a two-body collision in one dimension?

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Multiple Choice

Which equation expresses momentum conservation for a two-body collision in one dimension?

Explanation:
Momentum in a closed system stays the same, so the total momentum before a collision must equal the total momentum after. In one dimension this means summing the momenta of both objects along that axis: m1 v1 + m2 v2 before equals m1 v3 + m2 v4 after. This expression directly encodes conservation of momentum for a two-body collision. Other forms drop one term or use a different combination of signs, which does not represent the total momentum being conserved for the whole system.

Momentum in a closed system stays the same, so the total momentum before a collision must equal the total momentum after. In one dimension this means summing the momenta of both objects along that axis: m1 v1 + m2 v2 before equals m1 v3 + m2 v4 after. This expression directly encodes conservation of momentum for a two-body collision. Other forms drop one term or use a different combination of signs, which does not represent the total momentum being conserved for the whole system.

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