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Relativistic Mechanics |
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relativistic mechanics [‚rel·ə·tə′vis·tik mi′kan·iks]
(relativity) Any form of mechanics compatible with either the special or the general theory of relativity. The nonquantum mechanics of a system of particles or of a fluid interacting with an electromagnetic field, in the case when some of the velocities are comparable with the speed of light. Relativistic Mechanics the branch of theoretical physics that considers the classical laws of motion of bodies or particles at rates of motion ν comparable with the speed of light. Relativistic mechanics is based on the theory of relativity. The basic equations of relativistic mechanics—the relativistic generalization of Newton’s second law and the relativistic law of conservation of energy-momentum—satisfy the requirements of Einstein’s relativity principle. In particular, it follows from these equations that the speed of material objects cannot exceed c, the speed of light in a vacuum. When ν ≪ c, relativistic mechanics reduces to classical Newtonian mechanics. Want to thank TFD for its existence? Tell a friend about us, add a link to this page, add the site to iGoogle, or visit the webmaster's page for free fun content. |
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