🦾 Without stretching 💥 Losing energy 💸 Not affected by price

inelastically

9.7

In a way that makes objects lose energy when they hit

adverb
/ˌɪnɪˈlæstɪkli/

Specialized

: inelásticamente

When the clay balls collided inelastically, they stuck together and lost some energy as heat.

Examples

In physics experiments, objects may bounce inelastically if they deform and do not return to their original shape.
The two vehicles crashed inelastically, causing significant damage and absorbing much of the impact energy.
The car collided inelastically.
The two cars crashed inelastically!
When the clay balls collided inelastically, they stuck together and lost some energy as heat.
In physics experiments, objects may bounce inelastically if they deform and do not return to their original shape.
The two vehicles crashed inelastically, causing significant damage and absorbing much of the impact energy.

How Elastic

elastically

Specialized

4.6

inelastically

Specialized

9.7

Surface Forms

inelastically positive

Morphology

inelastically = inelastic (semi-transparent) = in + elastic + ly

The word 'inelastic' is derived from 'elastic' with the prefix 'in-' denoting negation, but the specific scientific meaning may not be immediately clear to all learners.

Etymology

Inelastically comes from in- 'not' and elastic 'able to bounce back', like a ball. In physics this means objects do not bounce back and they lose some energy as heat or change shape.