: Re: How do I describe Newtonian physics to the reader in a way that is realistic yet not too complex? I have a story where I adhere strongly to plausible physics for space combat (some behind-the-scenes

@Ravi5107385

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Describe the effects, particularly where the effects in space without the presence of air resistance/friction differ from the familiar effects in an atmosphere where friction slows things down.

Thucydides' answer to your question in Worldbuilding SE gave several possibilities, e.g. "Kinetic energy weapons will go until they run into something." Since your scenario takes place in a war, the effects will kill and injure people, injecting drama, which your scenario sorely needs. At present I doubt one in a ten readers has done more than glance at it, and this is on Stack Exchange where the geeks hang out.

Include vast-hulled spaceships smashing together and bouncing apart in near-perfect elastic collisions like billiard balls. Include tragic mistakes where someone forgets in the heat of the moment that any object expelled at speed will go on forever until it crashes into another object - that object could be an allied ship or person. Or maybe they do know that if you fire a kinetic weapon then whatever platform you fire it from is going to move backwards - and do it anyway, suicidally projecting themselves beyond the reach of aid, so long as their shot harms the enemy. Include triumphs as a result of clever use being made of Newton's laws, or the relativistic departures from them.

Include emotion. People will understand if they care.

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