An inelastic collision is a type of collision in which kinetic energy is not conserved. Unlike elastic collisions, inelastic collisions involve objects sticking together or deforming upon impact. The conservation of momentum still applies in inelastic collisions, but the total kinetic energy of the system changes.

To understand the concept better, let's consider an example of two objects colliding: a car and a wall. When the car collides with the wall, it comes to a stop, and its kinetic energy is converted into other forms of energy, such as sound and heat. In this case, the collision is inelastic because the kinetic energy is not conserved.

One way to analyze inelastic collisions is by calculating the coefficient of restitution (e), which represents the ratio of the relative final velocity to the relative initial velocity of the colliding objects. A value of e=1 corresponds to a perfectly elastic collision, while e=0 represents a completely inelastic collision.