Filed under: Momentum
Physicists tell us that Momentum (P) is the product of an object’s mass (M) and its velocity (V). Because velocity has a direction, so does momentum. The concept of momentum was developed by scientists throughout the renaissance, ending with Newton’s publication of the Principia Mathematica.
This month’s exploration of momentum will go beyond the scientific insights. The idea of momentum has spread into many aspects of our society. Can artistic movements and presidential candidates both claim to have momentum? Do successful baseball teams and stock brokers feel momentum steering their fates? Do ideas themselves carry momentum as they spread in this new virtual world?
Both sides of the momentum equation must be understood. Continental plates move very slowly but contain millions of tons of mass. Particles of rock and dust can move extremely fast in the vacuum of space. Which of these would posses more momentum?
