Because of the third law, all Newtonian interactions will conserve momentum
among the interacting objects. However, momentum can leave the system of
interacting objects via E/M waves (dissipation of momentum?). Of course,
overall momentum is still conserved. (Newton's third law is a special case
corollary of the conservation of linear momentum.)
Bob Sciamanda
Physics, Edinboro Univ of PA (Em) http://www.winbeam.com/~trebor/
trebor@winbeam.com
----- Original Message -----
From: "John Barrer" <forcejb@YAHOO.COM>
To: <PHYS-L@LISTS.NAU.EDU>
Sent: Thursday, February 17, 2005 2:29 PM
Subject: Re: collision question
|A related question: Does anyone have a
| conceptual-level explanation for why there are no
| momentum-dissipative mechanisms in collisions? On the
| micro level, if some of the original KE goes to
| increasing the internal vibrations (and internal KE)
| of the objects, why does momentum not get transferred
| in the same fashion? I've never heard (or been able to
| give) a satisfactory explanation to this question.
| Thanks for any pearls of wisdom.
| John Barrere University HS, Fresno, CA
|
|