Schematic of a single photon with zero angular momentum (green) splitting into two photons (red) with either zero or opposite angular momenta (sketched through the spatially varying color), which adds ...

Introduction You might have seen figure skaters spinning around quickly and then tucking their arms to spin faster—or opening them to spin more slowly. This happens, thanks to a physics concept known ...

Many people don't know too much about angular momentum—and that's fine. But what about figure skaters? Whether they understand the concept of angular momentum doesn't matter but they use it in one of ...

The inner solar system spins much more slowly than the laws of modern physics predict, and a new study may help to explain why. A thin disk of gas and dust — known as an accretion disk — spirals ...

Draw three free body diagrams (FBDs): one of A alonw, one of B alone and one of A+B. Identify the n- and t-directions on your FBDs. Step 2: Kinetics (linear impulse/momentum) In which directions, if ...

It's almost always the last topic in the first semester of introductory physics—angular momentum. Best for last, or something? I've used this concept to describe everything from fidget spinners to ...

Segment 4A: Momentum and Impulse We define the terms momentum and impulse. Segment 4A: Momentum and Impulse We define the terms momentum and impulse. We see the impulse-momentum theorem in action by ...

Students learn to define, give the MKS units for, and calculate momentum. Momentum: Students learn to define, give the MKS units for, and calculate momentum and to use the impulse equation to explain ...