Two objects collide and bounce apart. Assuming no outside forces act on the system, which best describes the total momentum after the collision?

When no outside forces act on the two-object system, its total momentum is conserved. The objects may change direction or speed during the collision, but their combined momentum after the collision is the same as before it. So the correct choice is “It is always the same as it was before the collision.”

AI-written and checked against the verified answer.