Adhesive collision of two equal discs

ID: adhesive-collision-of-two-equal-discs

Two uniform discs of mass m and radius a stick at first edge contact. One initially translates at speed v and the other rests, with neither initially spinning. If the incoming velocity makes angle to the line of centres, the composite axial moment of inertia about its centre of mass is . Conserved angular-momentum magnitude is , so the angular velocity magnitude is . The centre-of-mass speed is v/2. Splitting kinetic energy into translation and rotation gives . The difference from is dissipated internally; it cannot be removed from angular-momentum conservation.

New to topics? Read the docs here!