Justin's Blog
This is important, but it is rarely explained well, probably because it is so simple.
A few quantities share units but not meaning.
- Movement and Distance (distance)
- Work and Energy (force*distance)
- Impulse and Momentum (force/time)
One is a verb turned into a noun, and the other is an adjective turned into a noun.
It is that simple. In other words...
- Work changes Energy.
- Impulse changes Momentum.
- Movement changes Position.
About the object itself
- 10J of work changes the energy of an object by 10J.
- 10Ns of impulse changes the momentum of an object by 10kgm/s.
- 10m of movement changes the distance of an object by 10m.
About the relationship between objects
- 10J of work transfers 10J of energy between objects.
- 10Ns of impulse transfers 10Ns of momentum between objects.
- 10m of movement can introduce or remove 10m of distance between objects.
