
Originally Posted by
Forest
My point was only that introducing a discussion of momentum only makes sense if you know the specific masses and velocities of both parties that are involved in the collision.
If you don't know the masses and velocities of the colliding vehicles then you cannot draw a general conclusion.
Oh, I am not going to dispute that. But since we are engaging in a thought experiment here we do have the luxury of setting the variables however we like. However, it seemed to me that your point was that I was "Completely wrong" because I didn't calculate the kinetic energy of the vehicles...
As I have often asserted before in other discussions - most real-life situations are too complicated to actually calculate exactly. The art is in removing the small things that doesn't have a significant impact from the equation (e.g. localised heat distribution in the tyres and its impact upon traction, angular momentum carried by the flywheel at the time of impact...) so you end up with something which can actually be calculated. If you follow that through to its natural conclusion you'll end up with the conservation of momentum. It is the very fundament for analysing impacts - you then build layer upon layer of complexity on top of that (conservation of angular momentum first then maybe conservation of energy).
It is preferential to refrain from the utilisation of grandiose verbiage in the circumstance that your intellectualisation can be expressed using comparatively simplistic lexicological entities. (...such as the word fuck.)
Remember your humanity, and forget the rest. - Joseph Rotblat
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