Momentum as Molecular Motion p1

Introduction

When you are driving in a car and slam on the brakes, all the books and packages fly forward. Why is this? Physicists will call it “inertia” and “momentum”. However, explaining this process as “inertia” does not give the complete understanding. A more accurate understanding would be that the molecules are continuing to travel at the same speed though the vehicle has stopped. This is the real reason.

Therefore we will take a new look at the inertia of objects in motion. Instead of discussing “inertia” and “momentum”, we will discuss the following: molecules in motion, internal energy, and the degree of energy transfer.

Traditional Physics: Either Unclear or Not Accurate

When physics books or websites talk about inertia of objects, the explanations are either unclear or not accurate.

Let us first assume that the physicists do know what is going on at molecular level. We shall give them credit for such knowledge. However, if they do know these answers then they are not able to explain it to us.

On the other hand, it could also be the case that the physicists are not quite understanding the true cause of for these “inertia” situations.

Either way, we will now remedy the situation by explaining the “inertia” of objects in a completely different way.

Inertia and Motion in Brief

Inertia, for the purposes of this article, is essentially the ability of an object to keep moving.

To understand this, we must first review the understanding of “motion”. Every object moves based on the motion of its molecules, and more specifically the forward motion of its protons.

The protons are the engines of the atom. Thus, as the protons move forward, so does the atom, and as the atoms move forward, so do the molecules. Therefore, when the majority of protons (and therefore the majority of molecules) throughout an object move forward, then the object as a whole will move forward.

In other words, every object, from a book to a planet, is self-propelled. Every object is always moving – always being self-propelled by the protons inside the object.

Consider a book. For a book to move forward, the protons must first acquire energy, and then those protons must be moving in the same direction. When enough of the protons of the book, each have enough energy, then that book will move forward.

This is the basic mechanism for motion – for any object, regardless of size, structure, or composition.

Object in Motion Tends to Stay in Motion

Once this object is in motion, it stays in motion. As Newton said “An object in Motion tends to stay in motion”. This is because the object is self-propelled. The energy strings are inside the protons, and there the energy strings will remain, pushing on the protons, propelling the object as a whole forward.

Therefore, once the object (such as a book) is in motion, that object will continue to move in that direction, and at that same speed, for a long time.

Speed of Objects

Now that we have objects in motion, we will consider the speed. The speed of any object depends on the number of energy strings inside that object.

Specifically, there are energy strings located in each proton which push that proton forward. The number of energy strings then determines the speed: more energy strings inside a proton will push it faster.

Then we consider the object as a whole. There are billions of protons throughout the object – even something as simple as a book. As we add more and more energy strings to the object, these energy strings spread throughout the object, and enter into each of the protons. Therefore, with greater energy inside all these protons, the object itself will move faster.

This is how we observe an object, as a whole, to move at faster speeds.

Inertia and Momentum for

Same Object at Different Speeds

Therefore, at this stage, the concepts of inertia and momentum really mean the total internal energy of the object. Specifically, the total internal energy is the total number of energy strings, within all of the protons throughout the object.

Comparing the two books of the same size: one book with greater total energy will travel faster. This is because the total number of energy strings is greater. First this means that there are more energy strings per proton, pushing each proton faster. Second, it very likely that there are these many more energy strings in all the protons throughout the entire book. Therefore we have billions of protons, with this greater number of energy strings, pushing their protons faster. The net result is that the entire object (the book) propels itself much faster.

If no other forces act on that book, it will continue to travel at that faster speed for a long time. Similarly, if that faster book hits the wall, that book will cause more of a dent, as there is more energy which can be imparted from the book to the wall.

Thus, these examples demonstrate “inertia” and “momentum” based on molecular motion and internal energy strings.

Inertia and Momentum for Objects of Different Mass

We can also understand the concepts of inertia and momentum based on the mass of objects. It is well known that an object with greater mass will have more “inertia” and more “momentum”. We can now understand this at the molecular level.

Consider two objects of very different mass – such as a book and a car. Let us get both of those objects to move at the same speed.

In any object, most of the mass is in the protons and the neutrons. Then remember that the protons are the engines of the atoms. Therefore, when an object has more mass, such as a car, it has more protons. This means that there are more “engines” of the many more atoms to be “filled” with energy.

Consequently, this will require significantly more energy strings to be distributed throughout the object in order to get the object to move. Remember that regardless of the object, we are basically getting the protons to move; and to get any proton to move at a particular speed will require a specific amount of energy strings.

The difference then is in the total number of protons throughout the object, and therefore the total number of energy strings which must be applied and distributed throughout the object.

This is why you can push the book easily with a simple press of the hand. Your hand has enough energy strings to easily be applied to the entire book, and move it forward. Yet to push the car that same speed will require several people – and often pushing their whole bodies. This is because of the amount of energy strings required to reach all the protons requires that many people give of their energy strings; and using their entire bodies helps distribute the energy strings throughout the car more easily.

Thus, this is why the difference in mass of two objects will require different amounts of energy strings applied, in order to move the two objects at the same speed.

Energy Strings Upon Impact

As a corollary: note that an object with greater number of energy strings will be able to transfer more energy upon impact. This is also an aspect of what we commonly know of as either inertia or momentum.

It does not matter if the object has more energy strings due to greater speed, or due to greater mass. The result will be the same: whenever there are more internal energy strings prior to impact, there will be more energy strings transferred after impact.

This greater number of energy strings after impact can then do several things to the impacted object. This will often propel the object forward at a fast speed, or separate the molecules from each other (resulting in cracks or causing pieces to break off).

Total Number of Energy Strings as Inertia or Momentum

Thus, again, we return to the concept of “total number of energy strings”. This concept is really the central concept behind motion, speed, inertia, and momentum.

As we discussed above, when we have two objects of the same size, the one which moves faster will have more overall energy strings. This greater amount of energy strings is necessary to move the protons faster, and thus move the book as a whole faster.

Also, as discussed above, when we have two objects of different mass, but want them to travel at the same speed, we must apply more energy strings to the object of greater mass. Remember that the number of energy strings required per proton to move each proton at a particular speed will be the same for all protons, in any object. However, the object with greater mass has many more protons, and therefore will require a greater amount of energy strings to be applied and distributed throughout that object.

In either situation, the object with the “greater momentum” or “greater inertia” will in fact have a greater total number of energy strings.

This will result in several practical effects, which are often observed. For example: it will often take longer to get a large object moving, or to move any one object faster; this is because it takes more time to apply enough energy needed, and to distribute that energy throughout the object.

Similarly, it takes longer to slow the more massive object, or a faster moving object, because all of those energy strings must be removed again.

And of course, when that object impacts another object the number of energy strings will be greater, and therefore the amount of energy transferred will be greater.

[Additional details will be presented in future blogs. There is also a book in progress on these topics which will be published soon.]