Momentum – the Archilles’ Heel of Causality-based Physics

The Root of Its Miseries - from the Quantum to the Cosmic

Abstract

1. Galileo famously discovered the inverse square law of gravitation on earth and also formulated the concept of momentum as “mv” (mass x velocity) for the dynamics of moving bodies. But the momentum “mv” was at an odd with his inverse square law of “Fee Fall” as pointed out later by G.W. Leibniz, who gave the correct formulation of momentum as “mv^2”. G.W.F. Hegel later showed that the momentum expressed as “mv” is incompatible with what he called, “the laws of absolutely free motion” discovered by Kepler’s three laws of the planetary system. However, in spite of the controversy raised by J. Kepler, Leibniz and Hegel; the continued use of “mv” as the measure of momentum of moving bodies in physics and dynamics since R. Descartes and I. Newton; until now, even after the recognition of the quantum phenomena at the turn of the 20th century; is leading to more and more mysteries and myths; impeding further developments in physics and cosmology.

It can now be shown that developments in Quantum electrodynamics and dialectics abolishes any notion of Newtonian mystery of “First Impulse” for matter and motion (momentum) from God. Leibniz’s formulation of momentum as “mv^2” is more appropriate and its use can resolve many of the problems in modern theoretical physics and cosmology; including in extra-terrestrial dynamics of the heavenly bodies and gravitation, electrodynamics and in quantum electrodynamics. The recognition of Leibniz’s vis viva, Hegel’s “absolute dynamics” and momentum as “mv^2” (“mv^3” only for neutral quantum particles like light photons); would represent the end of all mysticism and myths of cosmology, created since Isaac Newton’s “negation” of the Copernican revolution; later reinforced and accentuated by Albert Einstein’s theories of relativity.