In a perfectly inelastic collision between two bodies:
AKinetic energy is conserved but momentum is lost
BBoth momentum and KE are conserved
CMomentum is conserved but KE is not
DNeither momentum nor KE is conserved
Answer & Solution
Correct answer: C. Momentum is conserved but KE is not
1. In any collision (elastic or inelastic), the absence of external forces means total momentum is conserved.
2. In a perfectly inelastic collision, the bodies stick together — internal deformation dissipates some KE as heat/sound.
3. So momentum is conserved, KE is not.
4. Elastic collisions are the special case where KE is ALSO conserved.
_Source: NCERT Class 11 Physics Ch 5, §5.13 Inelastic Collisions_
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