Here's a breakdown:
* Isolated system: A system where no external forces act upon it. In simpler terms, it means that the total momentum of the system is not affected by any external factors.
* Momentum: A measure of an object's mass in motion. It's calculated by multiplying an object's mass by its velocity (momentum = mass x velocity).
* Conservation of Momentum: This fundamental law states that the total momentum of an isolated system remains constant over time. This means that even if objects within the system interact (collide, explode, etc.), the total momentum before and after the interaction will be the same.
In other words:
If you add up the momentum of all objects in a system at the beginning (initial total momentum) and then add up the momentum of all objects after some interaction (final total momentum), the two sums will be equal.
Example:
Imagine two billiard balls colliding on a frictionless table. Before the collision, they have a certain momentum. After the collision, even though their individual velocities might change, the total momentum of the two-ball system remains the same.
