What percentage of kinetic energy is transferred to a stationary particle when a moving particle str

Question

What percentage of kinetic energy is transferred to a stationary particle when a moving particle strikes a stationary particle of 5 times its mass? (Assume the collision to be head-on elastic collision )

Professor PC Thomas Classes · Answer

Fractional energy transfer $= \frac{4m_1 m_2}{(m_1+m_2)^2} = \frac{4(m)(5m)}{(6m)^2} = \frac{20}{36} = 55.5\%$.