I dont understand how objects lose their velocity when for example they’re in air. Shouldnt the momentum of it be constant?
In: Physics
When you wave your hand very quickly through the air you can feel the air around your hand as a wind. That is friction between the atoms of your hand and the air bumping into each other and slowing each other down. Friction slows you down and acts against your momentum. Mathematically described by Newton’s Second Law of Motion.
When you jump up and land, that is the force of Gravity accelerating you downwards which acts in reverse to your upwards velocity. Mathematically described by Newton’s Law of Gravity
If there was no gravity and you were in a perfect vacuum, your momentum would be constant. But matter attracts each other due to gravity (accelerating you towards the object) and rubbing against other matter causes friction which slows you down in reality.
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