A collision occurs when two or more objects come into contact with each other, often with force. This can happen in various contexts, such as vehicle accidents, sports, or even in space when asteroids or satellites intersect paths. The impact can cause damage, change the direction of the objects, or create new physical phenomena. In physics, collisions are categorized into two main types: elastic and inelastic. In an elastic collision, both momentum and kinetic energy are conserved, while in an inelastic collision, momentum is conserved, but kinetic energy is not. Understanding these types helps in analyzing the outcomes of collisions in different scenarios.