When a Ball Undergoes a Two-Dimensional Elastic Collision with a Smooth

question 21

Essay

When a ball undergoes a two-dimensional elastic collision with a smooth wall, the angle that the incident path makes with the perpendicular to the wall is equal to the angle that the outgoing path makes with the perpendicular to the wall. Explain why this is so.

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Definitions:

Associative Learning

The process by which an individual learns the connection between two stimuli or between a behavior and a consequence.

Pavlov

A Russian physiologist best known for his work in classical conditioning, demonstrating how reflexes can be conditioned to respond to neutral stimuli through association.

Watson

John B. Watson, an American psychologist who established the psychological school of behaviorism, emphasizing the study of observable behavior.

Skinner

B.F. Skinner, a psychologist and behaviorist known for his development of the operant conditioning theory, emphasizing the influence of external stimuli on behavior.