Coefficient of Restitution

The Coefficient of Restitution (COR) measures how bouncy a collision is between two objects. It is calculated as the ratio of the relative speed after the collision to the relative speed before the collision. A COR close to 1 indicates a highly elastic collision where objects bounce back with little energy loss, like a superball. A COR near 0 signifies an inelastic collision where objects barely bounce and energy is mostly absorbed, like a clay ball hitting the ground. It helps quantify how much energy is preserved during impacts in various physical and engineering contexts.