Originally Posted by drewmandan
This belief that planets cannot collide inelastically, is this based on some deep physical insight or pure speculation? In fact, the general rule is the larger the objects get, the more inelastic collisions get. For example, atoms and molecules cannot be permanently deformed by collisions (or else DNA would be impossible!), but billiard balls, if hit hard enough, can take dents. Moving up in scale, cars get enormously deformed in collisions, rather than simply bouncing off one another. Moving up again, have you ever seen a tall tower fall over sideways? The tower always splits at least once, because no material known to man is strong enough to prevent a large object from behaving inelastically. Moving up in scale again, we get to earth quakes causing a local region of the crust to liquifact, or in other words causes stone to turn to liquid. And once we get up to the scale of planets, most collisions look like two blobs of liquid colliding, because planets are made of rock, and no natural rock can come within even an order of magnitude of the strength required to behave elastically.
U R RONG
My conclusions are based on my current knowledge of physics, mixed in with some common sense applied to a larger scale. It is exactly the deformation of objects that leads to their elasticity. It may not seem that way, but even solid objects deform upon impact. It is the tendency for objects to try to return to their original shape that leads to the bouncing effect.
What you are proposing is two bodies colliding, assuming their composition can be considered mostly liquid. If indeed these two bodies collided inelastically (stuck together), then the 10th planet does not exist. There have been claims both for and against the existence of this planet.
I am suggesting that the planets were moving fast enough to overcome their separate gravitational forces as to not become one. Also, I think that both planets had a high density core (the specific composition of which I don't care about), that could exhibit some deformation followed by a reformation that would further help the planets remain separate entities.
In 4 days, I start System Dynamics, Materials Science, Fluid Dynamics and 3 other fun classes. So there is a chance I'll learn more about the physics of such a collision and will be able to shed more light on the subject. I admit that as of now, my knowledge is limited, but taking into consideration what I currently know, I feel my position is justified.
On an unrelated note: wow 500 posts!!! ...I need a life hahaha
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