Energy and Momentum
PHYS 101 · Module 3
This module introduces two powerful conservation ideas: energy and momentum. Students learn how work changes motion, how stored energy becomes motion, and how collisions can be understood without tracking every detail.
Lessons in this module
Work and kinetic energy
Work is energy transferred by a force acting over a distance. This lesson explains how work changes kinetic energy and why direction matters.
Potential energy and conservation of energy
Potential energy is stored energy due to position or arrangement. This lesson explains gravitational potential energy, elastic energy, and conservation of energy.
Momentum and impulse
Momentum describes motion that is difficult to stop, while impulse describes how forces change momentum over time. This lesson connects momentum to collisions and safety.
Collisions
Collisions reveal the usefulness of conservation laws. This lesson introduces elastic and inelastic collisions using conceptual examples and simple momentum reasoning.
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