The term impact refers to that moment when an object or matter collides violently and strongly against another object or matter. The impact always supposes some type of alteration in the characteristics of that element although this can be only in a portion of said object depending on where it hits and where the impact is generated. This is so because the blow generated by the shock or impact is always very damaging and strong. The term impact can be used in a concrete sense but also as a metaphor, such as when referring to environmental impact.
It is normal to use the term impact in a host of specific situations. It is always used to refer to some type of clash or blow that occurs between two or more parties. This impact can be between elements that are the same or different from each other, for example when a ball hits glass or when a meteorite hits another meteorite, respectively. Although this is not always the case, it is expected that blows between different elements will generate differentiated damage depending on each element and the force with which each one acts on the other.
When we talk about impact we can also be referring to situations that do not imply shocks but rather the effect that certain phenomena have on reality. This is especially clear when speaking, for example, of the impact that certain political, economic or social measures have on a population: in this case it is about expressing that they will generate some type of reaction or effect. In the same way, another common use given to this term is one that refers to environmental impact, that is, the effect that our actions as human beings generate on the environment when we modify or alter it.
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