Energy and Momentum Concepts – Week 2 Lecture

Flashcards covering key concepts from the Week 2 lecture on energy and momentum, including definitions, conservation laws, and a sample two-object collision data.

What is the focus of Week 2 in this course?

Energy (especially mechanical energy), momentum, conservation of energy and momentum, plus brief topics on pressure, atomic structure, and heat.

What is mechanical energy?

Energy associated with an object's motion (kinetic energy) and its position (potential energy).

What does E = mc^2 represent?

Mass-energy equivalence: a small amount of mass corresponds to a large amount of energy; occurs notably in stellar cores; not common for everyday humans.

What is momentum?

Momentum = mass × velocity; a conserved quantity in interactions; not a force.

Is momentum a force?

No; momentum is not a force; it is a property of an object that is conserved in interactions.

What does conservation of momentum state?

In a closed system, the total momentum before an interaction equals the total momentum after.

In the two-object simulation, what are the masses and velocities?

Teal ball: mass 0.5 kg, velocity +1 m/s. Pink ball: mass 1.5 kg, velocity −0.5 m/s.

How do you calculate momentum for each ball in the simulation?

Momentum p = m × v. Teal: 0.5 kg × 1 m/s = 0.5 kg·m/s. Pink: 1.5 kg × (−0.5 m/s) = −0.75 kg·m/s.

What topics are planned for next week's lecture?

Waves and sounds, with emphasis for the diagnostic medical sonography program.