Questions: What kind of collision, elastic or inelastic, occurs when a large fish swallows a small fish at rest?

Solution Steps

Collisions can be classified into two main types: elastic and inelastic. In an elastic collision, both momentum and kinetic energy are conserved. In an inelastic collision, momentum is conserved, but kinetic energy is not.

In the scenario where a large fish swallows a small fish at rest, the two fishes stick together after the collision. This indicates that the collision is perfectly inelastic because the objects stick together, which is a characteristic of inelastic collisions.

In both elastic and inelastic collisions, momentum is conserved. Therefore, the statement "Inelastic, because the momentum is not conserved" is incorrect.

In an inelastic collision, kinetic energy is not conserved. Since the fishes stick together, the collision is inelastic, and kinetic energy is not conserved.

Final Answer