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Single Idea 20964

[from 'The World' by René Descartes, in 27. Natural Reality / A. Classical Physics / 1. Mechanics / b. Laws of motion ]

Full Idea

Descartes incorporated the conservation of what he called 'quantity of motion', by which he meant mass times speed.

Gist of Idea

Descartes said there was conservation of 'quantity of motion'

Source

report of René Descartes (The World [1631]) by David Papineau - Thinking about Consciousness App 2

Book Reference

Papineau,David: 'Thinking about Consciousness' [OUP 2004], p.234


A Reaction

Mass times velocity is now called 'momentum'. Is this the first ever conservation law? There are now lots of them.