The total kinetic energy is the sum of two terms, the first of which, \(K_{cm}\), can never change: it is, in fact, as constant as the total momentum itself, since it involves the center of mass veloc...The total kinetic energy is the sum of two terms, the first of which, \(K_{cm}\), can never change: it is, in fact, as constant as the total momentum itself, since it involves the center of mass velocity, \(v_{cm}\), which is proportional to the total momentum of the system (recall equation (3.3.4)).
