conservation of momentum vs energy

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From: Nathania Chaney Aiello (nathania@home.com)
Date: Thu Nov 16 2000 - 06:37:19 PST 

Message-ID: <3A13F023.D7FB2413@home.com>
Date: Thu, 16 Nov 2000 06:37:19 -0800
From: Nathania Chaney Aiello <nathania@home.com>
Subject: conservation of momentum vs energy

I have a student who understands that total energy is conserved. We
have now gone onto the conservation of momentum. While she can see that
mathematically momentum is conserved during an inelastic collision and
kinetic energy is not, conceptually she is bothered. Since both
momentum and KE are based on mass and velocity, how can momentum be
conserved if the energy changes form. Anyone got a good way to attack
this? Thanks
Nathania

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