What does an avalanche have to do with conservation laws? Information learned throughout this module may provide you with the answers. Check in again at the end of the module to find out what an avalanche has to do with conservation laws.

In this lesson, you will concentrate on the law of conservation of energy and the law of conservation of momentum in one direction.

When something is conserved, it means that it is not changing or constant. When talking about the "conservation laws," it means the energy or momentum in the system is staying constant, not changing.

If you recall, a "law" in science is a statement that has few exceptions. This statement is based upon a generalization of many observations and experiments, for example, the Law of Gravity. Conservation laws as these two laws are sometimes called, are foundational laws in physics.