Off Topic — HabitableZone

Off Topic » in reply to re: Good explanations and questions, thank you Michael.

The answer is, you can't.
ER — (archived)

Mass and energy are defined in mathematical terms because they are conceptual tools used in solving physics problems. Trying to describe physical concepts using just English is like trying to describe music using just English. Unless you can hum the tune, or play it on an instrument, the only way is by writing down the notes so that someone who can read music can play them for himself. Unfortunately, in the case of physics, there is nothing comparable to "hum a few bars and I'll fake it".

To rephrase your comment more accurately, "How can one possibly explain what "mass" and "energy" are, to people that don't understand numbers or symbols in a formula?"

Fortunately, Newton gave us very simple formulas (in algebra), but he had to derive them with calculus, which he had to invent in order to do it. Newton's original, formal definition of Force was "The Derivative with Respect to time of Momentum".

The ANSWER to that calculus operation is F = ma; the most important statement ever conceived of, and communicated succintly, by the human mind. I think even Dr Einstein would have been the first to agree with that.

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