CPB - The Mechanical Universe…and Beyond (1986) Part 15 Conservation of Momentum

The Mechanical Universe…and Beyond

This series helps teachers demystify physics by showing students what it looks like. Field trips to hot-air balloon events, symphony concerts, bicycle shops, and other locales make complex concepts more accessible. Inventive computer graphics illustrate abstract concepts such as time, force, and capacitance, while historical re-enactments of the studies of Newton, Leibniz, Maxwell, and others trace the evolution of theories. The Mechanical Universe helps meet different students' needs, from the basic requirements of liberal arts students to the rigorous demands of science and engineering majors. This series is also valuable for teacher professional development.

Part 15: Conservation of Momentum

If The Mechanical Universe is a perpetual clock, what keeps it ticking away till the end of time? Taking a cue from Descartes, momentum – the product of mass and velocity – is always conserved. Newton's laws embody the concept of conservation and momentum. This law provides a powerful principle for analyzing collisions, even at the local pool hall.