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Label the initially left-hand rod $A$ and the right-hand rod $B$. At impact their centres are $(0,\ell )$ and $(0,-\ell )$, and their contact points are both the origin. Each rod has total mass $2m$ and moment of inertiaLet the impulse on $B$ be $+J{\mathbf{e}}_x$, so the impulse on $A$ is $-J{\mathbf{e}}_x$. The impulsive form of Newton's second law givesThe contact lever arms from the centres are $(0,-\ell )$ for $A$ and $(0,+\ell )$ for $B$. Both angular impulses are $-\ell J{\mathbf{e}}_z$. Thus, taking counterclockwise rotation as positive,Equal and opposite linear impulses therefore produce equal clockwise rotations, not opposite rotations.

The restitution law uses the velocities of the contacting endpoints, including the rotational terms. For $A$ that velocity isand for $B$ it is $u_B=-V+J/m$. The approach speed before impact is $2V$. The coefficient of restitution $e$ therefore givesSubstituting into the centre and angular velocities yields the endpoint collision of two freely rotating equal rods:For the first, perfectly elastic case, $e=1$, soAll initial translational energy has become rotational energy. Indeed the total initial kinetic energy is $2m{V}^2$, while the final energy for general $e$ isThe loss is $m{V}^2(1-e^2)$, zero for an elastic collision. Conservation of total angular momentum about the origin provides another check: initially it is $-4m\ell V$; after collision the centre-motion contribution is $-2m\ell V(1-e)$ and the spins contribute $-2m\ell V(1+e)$, with the same total. The initial distance $d$ determines when the collision occurs but does not enter the impulsive velocities.