Physics 2 — Momentum & Waves
Collisions & conservation of momentum, circular motion, and waves — frequency, wavelength, and harmonics.
Physics 1 tracked one object. Now things interact: collisions trade momentum, circular motion demands a constant inward pull, and waves ferry energy across a room without moving any matter along with it. Same rules as before — just more players on the field.
- 01 Momentum & impulse ELI5: momentum p = m·v is "how hard something is to stop" — mass times velocity. The only way to change it is a force acting over time, the impulse J…
- 02 Collisions — momentum is conserved ELI5: in any collision, the total momentum before equals the total after — always, no exceptions, even in a wreck. If the objects stick together (a perfectly…
- 03 Circular motion ELI5: moving in a circle at steady speed is still accelerating — your direction keeps changing, and changing velocity needs a force. That force always points…
- 04 Waves ELI5: a wave carries energy without carrying matter (the cork bobs, the wave moves on). One bookkeeping rule ties it together: v = f·λ. The medium sets the…
next course: Physics 3 — Electricity & Magnetism →