Symmetry and Conservation Laws: Feynman's Physics Explained
The deep link between symmetry and conservation, first seen in classical physics, is even more profound in quantum mechanics. If a system is unchanged by some symmetry operation — like a shift in space — then its governing operator has a matching property, and a physical quantity (here, momentum) is conserved. The symmetries of the laws of physics are the ultimate source of the great conservation laws.
The big idea
Symmetry is the hidden reason conservation laws exist.
Think about it
Why is it satisfying that conservation of momentum and energy come from the universe simply being uniform in space and time?
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