dorsal/arxiv
View SchemaIntergalactic spaceflight: an uncommon way to relativistic kinematics and dynamics
| Authors | Thomas Greber, Heinz Blatter |
|---|---|
| Categories | |
| ArXiv ID | physics/0608040 |
| URL | https://arxiv.org/abs/physics/0608040 |
Abstract
In the Special Theory of Relativity space and time intervals are different in different frames of reference. As a consequence, the quantity 'velocity' of classical mechanics splits into different quantities in Special Relativity, coordinate velocity, proper velocity and rapidity. The introduction and clear distinction of these quantities provides a basis to introduce the kinematics of uniform and accelerated motion in an elementary and intuitive way. Furthermore, rapidity links kinematics to dynamics and provides a rigorous way to derive Newtons Second Law in the relativistic version. Although the covariant tensorial notation of relativity is a powerful tool for dealing with relativistic problems, its mathematical difficulties may obscure the physical background of relativity for undergraduate students. Proper velocity and proper acceleration are the spatial components of the relativistic velocity and acceleration vectors, and thus, they provide a possibility to introduce and justify the vectorial notation of spacetime. The use of the three different quantities describing 'velocity' is applied to discuss the problems arising in a thought experiment of a relativistic spaceflight.
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"abstract": "In the Special Theory of Relativity space and time intervals are different in\ndifferent frames of reference. As a consequence, the quantity \u0027velocity\u0027 of\nclassical mechanics splits into different quantities in Special Relativity,\ncoordinate velocity, proper velocity and rapidity. The introduction and clear\ndistinction of these quantities provides a basis to introduce the kinematics of\nuniform and accelerated motion in an elementary and intuitive way. Furthermore,\nrapidity links kinematics to dynamics and provides a rigorous way to derive\nNewtons Second Law in the relativistic version. Although the covariant\ntensorial notation of relativity is a powerful tool for dealing with\nrelativistic problems, its mathematical difficulties may obscure the physical\nbackground of relativity for undergraduate students. Proper velocity and proper\nacceleration are the spatial components of the relativistic velocity and\nacceleration vectors, and thus, they provide a possibility to introduce and\njustify the vectorial notation of spacetime. The use of the three different\nquantities describing \u0027velocity\u0027 is applied to discuss the problems arising in\na thought experiment of a relativistic spaceflight.",
"arxiv_id": "physics/0608040",
"authors": [
"Thomas Greber",
"Heinz Blatter"
],
"categories": [
"physics.ed-ph",
"physics.space-ph"
],
"title": "Intergalactic spaceflight: an uncommon way to relativistic kinematics and dynamics",
"url": "https://arxiv.org/abs/physics/0608040"
},
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