A particle with momentum p 1 in one dimension makes an elastic collision with a second particle

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A particle with momentum p1 in one dimension makes an elastic collision with a second particle of momentum p2 = −p1 in the center-of-mass reference frame. After the collision its momentum is. Write the total initial and final energies in terms in terms of p1 and p1', and show that p1' = ±p1. If p1' = -p1, the particle is merely turned around by the collision and leaves with the speed it had initially. What is the significance of the plus sign in your solution?

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