What happens if an unstoppable object, hits an immovable object, and both of the objects are indestructible?

Answer 1

First, let's call the unstoppable object a "ball", and the Immovable object a "wall".

The ball should bounce off the wall, reason being that both objects are indestructible. Being that, both ball and wall should be perfectly elastic. This means neither of them will be deformed by anything involving a collision. and that includes the situation you are asking about. Furthermore, this also means there is no energy lost in the process of hitting each other.

What happens is that the ball will have a certain amount of kinetic energy, whereas the wall has none (0). When the ball hits the wall, energy conservation must be obeyed. This would mean that the total energy of the wall-ball system must remain constant. Since the wall is immovable, its energy remains 0. Therefore, the ball must retain all the energy it had before impact. The only poible way in this situation for that to happen is if the ball bounces off the wall, and it has the same speed as it had before, but it should be going in the opposite direction

Answer 2

Isaac Asimov answered this question rather neatly, I thought. I can't remember in which of his many books I read it (it was a long time ago), but the gist of his argument was this: A universe in which there exists such a thing as an irresistible force is, by definition, a universe which cannot also contain an immovable object. And a universe which contains an immovable object cannot, by definition, also contain an irresistible force. So the question is essentially meaningless: either the force is irresistible or the object is immovable, but not both. When an irresistible force such as you, Meets an old immovable object like me, You can bet, as sure as you li-i-i-ive; Somethin's gotta give Somethin's gotta give Somethin's gotta give The correct set-up would be "What would happen if an immovable object were confronted with an unstoppable force." We will have to further define out unstoppable force as having infinite momemtum (right?) and the immovable object having infinite inertia (right.) Therefore, our unstoppable force would have an infinite energy (measure this in joules/calories/whatever) and the unstoppable force would be able to absorb infinite energy. There would be an endless transfer of energy. The two would appear as if they are resting, but are actually transferring their infinite energies from one to the other. Equilibrium or a relation would never be established since we're dealing in the infinite regarding energy. Sad, but true

Answer 3

Theres nothing like an unstoppable object,an immovable object or an idestructible object in the science of today. Any object in existence is acted upon by a force from other bodies unless the object is in absolute free space. However, there is no absolute free space since it is an idealization. Also, only the basic constituents of matter can be considered indestructable but such objects have not been found till today.

Assuming there is absolute free space and there is only one fundamental object( that is it can exist on its own and is not made up of other bodies) there, we cannot observe such an object to say if it is unstopable or immovable because we cannot exist. If we existed, then the "absolute free space" cannot be free because it is bounded by another space (where we the observer is).

But, if we existed in the same absolute free space where the object is and we cannot interact with the object(ie there is no force), we still cannot say if the object is unstoppable or immovable according to the laws of physics because there is no force since all laws of physics are based on the interaction (force)between two objects.

Answer 4

RE:
What happens if an unstoppable object, hits an immovable object, and both of the objects are indestructible?

Answer 5

Answer: You get an intractable paradox!

By the way, the original formulation was 'when an irresistible force meets an immoveable object'.

Conservation of energy and momentum, etc notwithstanding, any answer involving a rebound is not acceptable because a rebound is not instantaneous, thus it requires the object to be momentarily at rest, i.e 'stopped', before it reverses direction. If it is stopped, no matter how briefly, it no longer meets the criterion of being unstoppable.

Answer 6

If something was truely immovable it would need to have infinite mass - or all the mass in the universe. Since all the mass is in the immovable object, the unstopable object can't exist.

In other words, it's an impossible question that has no answer because it could never happen - you might as well ask who would win a fight between a green pixie and a flying jelly-octopus.

Answer 7

I would have to say the unstoppable object must just bounce off the immovable object since it can't blow up which is what would happen if they both weren't indestructable

Answer 8

The unstoppable object bounces away. It wasnt stopped, just redirected. The immovable object transfers the energy to something else it is touching.

Answer 9

depending on the size and weight and the force of the impact...the unstoppable object travelling slowly will be stopped upon hitting a big, heavy immovable object...or the fast moving, big and heavy unstoppable object will force the small immovable object to move !!

Answer 10

The energy of the impact would be transfered to surrounding matter around the immovable object (for it to be immovable there must be a force keeping it in place, etc, and not everything can be immovable!)