CHAPTER 28 SPECIAL RELATIVITY

Studying events which happen at the certain place and time.

An observer uses reference frame consists of 3D and clock where the reference frame
establish where the event occurs and clock specify when. Each observer is at rest relative
to his own reference frame. Inertial reference frame where Newton’s law of inertia is
valid that where acceleration is zero..

The postulates of special relativity

Know the postulates.

Read section 28.3

Proper time interval

The observer who is at rest w.r.t the clock measures proper time, hence the time interval
∆𝑡0 is called proper time interval. Proper time interval between two events is the time
interval measured by the observer who is at rest relative to the events and sees them at
the same location in space.

Time dilation

The observer 1 inside the train measures the time between two successive poles as
proper time interval ∆𝑡0 . The observer 2 on earth measures the time between two
successive poles which is greater than that on the train. Hence measuring longer time
called time dilation ∆𝑡 .
∆𝑡0
∆𝑡 =
2
√1 − 𝑣 2
𝑐
Similarly we can talk of length contraction, read section 28.4

𝑣2
𝐿 = 𝐿0 √1 − 2
𝑐

Where 𝐿0 is called proper length measured between two points by the observer at rest
w.r.t them.

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See example 4

Relativistic momentum

Recall that total linear momentum of an isolated system (the sum of all external forces is
zero) remains constant at all times.

Suppose two observers are watching two billard ball colliding with each other. One
observer is stationary and the other observer is moving with constant velocity, then
according to relativity postulate, the two observers must measure the same total linear
momentum before and after.

Classical linear momentum 𝐩 ⃗ as the product of mass m and 𝐯⃗ , hence the magnitude of
the classical momentum is 𝑝 = 𝑚𝑣 where the speed of the object is smaller than the
speed of light c. When the speed of the object approaches the speed of the light
momentum will no longer be conserved in all inertial reference frames. To modify the
equation so as to preserve the conservation of linear momentum , hence the magnitude
𝑚𝑣
of relativistic momentum as defined by special relativity is 𝑝 = 2
. The total
√1−𝑣2
𝑐

relativistic momentum of an isolated system of an isolated system is conserved in all

𝑣2
inertial reference frames. The two equation differ by a factor √1 − . The factor is
𝑐2
always less than one, hence relativistic momentum is always larger than the linear
momentum. When the speed of the object becomes comparable to the speed of light
relativistic momentum becomes bigger, hence can be used.

Example 5.

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The equivalence of mass and energy

It has been proved that the total energy of the body can be calculated as

𝑚𝑐 2
𝐸=
2
√1 − 𝑣 2
𝑐
When the object is rest then 𝐸0 = 𝑚𝑐 2 called rest energy.

Once the object start to move it acquires the total energy which is the sum of kinetic
energy and rest energy : 𝐸 = 𝐾𝐸 + 𝐸0 . This means the kinetic energy of the body can be
calculated as

1
𝐾𝐸 = 𝐸 − 𝐸0 = 𝑚𝑐 2 −1
2
√1 − 𝑣 2
( 𝑐 )

See example 7.

What is the relationship between the relativistic momentum and the total energy of an
object? From momentum
𝑝 𝑚
=
𝑣 2
√1 − 𝑣 2
𝑐
𝑚𝑐 2
𝐸=
2
√1 − 𝑣 2
𝑐
𝑚𝑐 2𝑝𝑐 2
𝐸= =
𝑣 2 𝑣
√1 − 2
𝑐
𝑣 𝑝𝑐
=
𝑐 𝐸

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 𝑣
Replace in the equation
𝑐
𝑚𝑐 2
𝐸=
√1 − (𝑝𝑐)
2

𝐸
Solving for 𝐸 2 , then 𝐸 2 = 𝑝2 𝑐 2 + 𝑚2 𝑐 4

SOLUTION
a
𝑚𝑣
𝑝=
2
√1 − 𝑣 2
𝑐

 0.460 c 
2

p 1
v2
2

5.08 1017 kg  m/s c2
1
m c   3.27 1025 kg
v 
0.460 3.00 108 m/s 
b. Substituting the value for m found in part (a) and the final speed of v = 0.920c into Equation

𝑚𝑣
𝑝=
2
√1 − 𝑣 2
𝑐
yields

p
mv

 3.27 1025 kg   0.920   3.00 108 m/s 
 2.30 1016 kg  m/s
v2  0.920 c 
2
1
c2 1
c2

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 1
𝐾𝐸 = 𝐸 − 𝐸0 = 𝑚𝑐 2 −1
2
√1 − 𝑣 2
( 𝑐 )
 1 
KE  mc 2  –1 
 1 – (v 2 / c 2 ) 
 
 1 
 (9.11  10 –31 kg)(3.00  108 m/s)2  –1   5.0  10 –13 J
 1 – (0.990c) 2 / c 2 
 
_____________________________________________________________________________

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4. REASONING The total energy E and the magnitude p of the relativistic momentum are related
according to Equation 28.7:

E 2  m2 c 4
E  p c m c
2 2 2 2 4
or p 
2
(28.7)
c2

We are given a value for the total energy, but do not have a value for the mass m. However, we
recognize that the rest energy is E0 = mc2 (Equation 28.5). With this substitution, Equation 28.7
becomes
E 2  m2c 4 E  E0
2 2
p 
2

c2 c2

the rest energy is E0 = E  KE

our expression for p2 becomes

E 2   E  KE 
2
E 2  E02
 p 
2
(1)
c2 c2
N.B. Substitute total energy with the value 𝟖. 𝟎 × 𝟏𝟎𝟏𝟓 𝑱 and compute the right value of the
relativistic momentum.
SOLUTION Using Equation (1), we find that

E 2   E  KE   5.0 1015 J 2   5.0 1015 J    2.0 1015 J 

2 2
p   1.3 107 kg  m/s
c 2
 3.0 108 m/s 2
5.
E 2  p 2c 2  m 2c 4
E2 E2
p c  E m c
2 2 2 2 4
or p  2  m 2c 2
2
or p 2
 m 2c 2
c c

Therefore, the magnitude of the relativistic momentum of the proton is

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  2.7 1010 J   1.67 1027 kg 2 3.00 108 m/s 2  7.5 1019 kg  m/s
2

2   
p
3.00 10 m/s 
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