I’ve always struggled to conceptualize the difference between the two. I understand their equations are different and KE being a scalar and Momentum is a vector, but to me they seem to describe the same thing … a mass moving with some velocity.
How are they different and why are they not interchangeable. Whats the best way to conceptualize their differences
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Kinetic energy is from a force applied over a given distance (J = Nm)
Momentum is from a force applied over a given time (kgm/s = Ns)
These might sound similar, and they can both be used to describe how something is moving, but that distance or time thing results in them having wildly different applications
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