Scribd Logo
Upload

Welcome to Scribd!

  • 157 views

    Introduction To Relativistic Mechanics and The Concept of Mass

    Uploaded by

    JTKirk61
    This document introduces relativistic mechanics and the concept of mass. It discusses how mass is defined in classical and relativistic physics. In classical physics, mass can be calculated from measurements of momentum and velocity or kinetic energy and velocity. In relativity, generalized formulas are needed. The document emphasizes that there is only one concept of mass - the rest mass m - and discusses how Einstein's equation E=mc2 follows from the fundamental equations of relativistic kinematics. It also considers the limits of zero mass and speed of light.

    Copyright:

    © All Rights Reserved
    Download as PDF, TXT or read online from Scribd

    Introduction To Relativistic Mechanics and The Concept of Mass

    Uploaded by

    JTKirk61
    157 views15 pages
    This document introduces relativistic mechanics and the concept of mass. It discusses how mass is defined in classical and relativistic physics. In classical physics, mass can be calculated from measurements of momentum and velocity or kinetic energy and velocity. In relativity, generalized formulas are needed. The document emphasizes that there is only one concept of mass - the rest mass m - and discusses how Einstein's equation E=mc2 follows from the fundamental equations of relativistic kinematics. It also considers the limits of zero mass and speed of light.

    Original Description:

    Introducion a la mecánica relativista

    Original Title

    Introduction to Relativistic Mechanics and the Concept of Mass

    Copyright

    © © All Rights Reserved

    Available Formats

    PDF, TXT or read online from Scribd

    Did you find this document useful?

    Is this content inappropriate?

    This document introduces relativistic mechanics and the concept of mass. It discusses how mass is defined in classical and relativistic physics. In classical physics, mass can be calculated from measurements of momentum and velocity or kinetic energy and velocity. In relativity, generalized formulas are needed. The document emphasizes that there is only one concept of mass - the rest mass m - and discusses how Einstein's equation E=mc2 follows from the fundamental equations of relativistic kinematics. It also considers the limits of zero mass and speed of light.

    Copyright:

    © All Rights Reserved
    Download as PDF, TXT or read online from Scribd
    Download as pdf or txt
    157 views15 pages

    Introduction To Relativistic Mechanics and The Concept of Mass

    Uploaded by

    JTKirk61
    This document introduces relativistic mechanics and the concept of mass. It discusses how mass is defined in classical and relativistic physics. In classical physics, mass can be calculated from measurements of momentum and velocity or kinetic energy and velocity. In relativity, generalized formulas are needed. The document emphasizes that there is only one concept of mass - the rest mass m - and discusses how Einstein's equation E=mc2 follows from the fundamental equations of relativistic kinematics. It also considers the limits of zero mass and speed of light.

    Copyright:

    © All Rights Reserved
    Download as PDF, TXT or read online from Scribd
    Download as pdf or txt
    of 15

    Introduction to Relativistic Mechanics

    and the Concept of Mass

    Gron Tudor Jones


    University of Birmingham

    CERN HST2014

    Introduction to relativistic kinematics and the concept of mass


    Mass is one of the most fundamental concepts in physics.
    When a new particle is discovered (e.g. the Higgs boson), the first
    question physicists will ask is, What is its mass?

    Classical physics (v << c)


    T = mv2/2

    m = 2T/v2

    p = mv

    m = p/v

    T = p2/2m

    m = p2/2T

    Knowing any 2 of T, p and v,


    one can calculate m.
    Same is true in relativity but we
    need the generalised formulae.

    Before that: a brief discussion of E = mc2

    Einsteins equation: E = mc2


    E0 = m c2

    E = m c2
    where

    E0 = m0 c2

    E = m0 c2

    c = velocity of light in vacuo


    E = total energy of free body
    E0 = rest energy of free body
    m0 = rest mass
    m = mass

    Q1: Which equation most rationally follows from special relativity and
    expresses one of its main consequences and predictions?
    Q2: Which of these equations was first written by Einstein and was
    considered by him a consequence of special relativity?

    The correct answer to both questions is:

    E0 = mc2

    (Poll carried out by Lev Okun among professional physicists in 1980s


    showed that the majority preferred 2 or 3 as the answer to both questions.)
    This choice is caused by the confusing terminology widely used in the
    popular science literature and in many textbooks. According to this
    terminology a body at rest has a proper mass or rest mass m0, whereas
    a body moving with speed v has a relativistic mass or mass m, given by

    E
    m 2
    c

    m0
    v2
    1 2
    c

    this terminology had some historical justification at the start of our


    century, but it has no justification today.
    Today, particle physicists only use the term mass. According to this
    rational terminology the terms rest mass and relativistic mass are
    redundant and misleading.

    There is only one mass in physics, m, which does not depend


    on the reference frame.
    As soon as you reject the relativistic mass there is no need to
    call the other mass rest mass and to mark it with a subscript 0.

    Letter from Albert Einstein to Lincoln Barnett, 19 June 1948


    m0
    E
    m

    It is not good to introduce the concept of mass


    c2
    v2
    1 2
    c
    moving body for which no clear definition can be given.

    of a

    It is better to introduce no other mass concept than the rest mass m.


    Instead of introducing m, it is better to mention the expression for the
    momentum and energy of a body in motion.

    The two fundamental equations of relativistic kinematics


    (Relativistic generalisations of E = p2/2m and p = mv.)
    Conservation of energy and momentum are close to the heart of physics.
    Discuss how they are related to 2 deep symmetries of nature.
    All this is looked after in special relativity if we define energy and
    momentum as follows:
    E2 = p2c2 + m2c4

    and

    p=v

    E
    c2

    where E = total energy


    p = momentum
    v = velocity
    m = ordinary mass as in Newtonian mechanics
    Next: hope to persuade you to accept these equations.

    * E0 = mc2
    Consider E2 p2c2 = m2c4 . For the situation when the particle is at
    rest (v = o), the energy E is the rest energy E0 and p = 0.

    So, E0 = mc2
    * Show that, for v<<c, E = mc2 + p2/2m = mc2 + mv2/2
    Firstly, when v << c, p

    E0
    c2

    = v m. Also,

    E = (p2c2 + m2c4)1/2 = mc2 (1 + p2c2/m2c4)1/2 = mc2 (1 + p2c2/2m2c4 + )


    For v<<c, p2c2 << m2c4.
    So, E = mc2 + p2/2m = E0 + mv2/2
    Rest
    energy

    Newtonian
    kinetic energy

    The relativistic equations


    for p and E reduce to the
    Newtonian ones for v<<c;
    so the m in them is the
    Newtonian mass.

    * Consider the extreme anti-Newtonian limit where m = 0

    If m=0, then

    vE v p 2 c 2
    vp
    p 2

    c
    c2
    c

    v=c

    Such bodies have no rest frame; they always move with


    the speed of light.
    Also m = 0

    E = pc

    Massless bodies have no rest energy, just KE.

    (e.g. photon.graviton)

    Our two expressions for p and E describe the kinematics


    of a free body for all velocities from 0 to c; and also
    E0 = mc2 follows from them.

    Back-up slides on relativistic kinematics

    1 2
    v 2 Ek
    mv Ek 2
    2
    c mc
    NEWTONIAN

    2 2
    E
    v 2
    2
    2 2
    2 4
    E p c m c 4 c m2c 4
    c

    mc
    v
    2 1 2
    c
    E
    2

    mc

    2 1
    2
    c

    Ek mc
    2

    RELATIVISTIC

    Speed and Kinetic Energy for Relativistic Electrons by William Bertozzi


    (American Journal of Physics 32 (1964) 551-555)

    Speed of 7 TeV proton


    2
    2 4
    v
    m
    c
    Substitute p = vE/c2 into E2 = p2c2 + m2c4 to get 1 2
    c
    E2

    For E = 7000 GeV proton (mc2 = 0.938 GeV) E=pc (approx);


    i.e. speed is exceedingly close to c.
    So (1 v2/c2) = (1 - v/c)(1 + v/c) = 2(1 v/c) to high accuracy
    Hence (1-v/c) = (mc2)2/2E2 = 0.9382/(2 x 70002) = 0.9 x 10-8
    And v = 0.999999991c

    Invariant (effective) mass of two photons

    E1,p1
    A

    E2,p2
    m122 c4 = (E1 + E2)2 - (p1 + p2)2 c4
    = E12 + E22 + 2E1E2 p12 c2 p22 c2 - 2p1p2 c2
    Now, for photons, E = pc, so E2 p2c2 = 0, and

    m122 c4 = 2p1 p2 c2 (1 cos A)


    Consider A = 0 and A = 180o

    You might also like