Video explanation
Three models connect gravity and orbital motion, a Newton’s cradle, and a double-slit experiment. The sequence moves from large-scale motion to quantum probability, showing why different problems require different explanatory models.
Gravity and orbits
In the Newtonian approximation, gravity scales with the product of the masses and inversely with separation squared. Orbital motion combines tangential velocity with inward gravitational acceleration.
Conservation in Newton’s cradle
Nearly elastic collisions approximately conserve momentum and kinetic energy, constraining the outgoing motion. Real cradles lose mechanical energy through friction, air resistance, sound, and deformation.
Double slits and path information
Without distinguishable paths, probability amplitudes can combine to create interference. Reliable which-path information removes that two-path interference. The relevant mechanism is physical measurement and interaction, not human consciousness.