Conserved Quantities

Definition

Conserved quantities are physical properties that remain constant over time in a closed system, meaning they cannot be created or destroyed. They can only change form or be transferred between different objects within the system.

Analogy

Think of conserved quantities like a pizza party. If you have 8 slices of pizza and everyone at the party takes 2 slices, the total number of pizza slices remains the same. The slices may be redistributed among the guests, but no new slices magically appear or disappear.

Related terms

Energy: Energy is a conserved quantity that can exist in various forms such as kinetic energy, potential energy, and thermal energy.

Linear Momentum: Linear momentum is a conserved quantity that represents an object's motion and depends on its mass and velocity.

Angular Momentum: Angular momentum is a conserved quantity that describes rotational motion and depends on an object's moment of inertia and angular velocity.