Momentum is conserved when no external forces act on a system. If the apple alone is our system, then momentum is not conserved when it falls and speeds up. We must consider the whole Earth and the apple as our larger system.
Momentum is conserved when no external forces act on a system. If the apple alone is our system, then momentum is not conserved when it falls and speeds up. We must consider the whole Earth and the apple as our larger system. Then, the change of momentum of the apple (downward impulse) is canceled by an equal and opposite change of momentum of the Ear