Force using relativistic momentum

In summary, the conversation discusses an example problem in a textbook that involves finding the acceleration of a particle under the influence of a constant force parallel to its velocity. The solution involves using the product rule for taking a derivative and simplifying the resulting equation to arrive at the final form of the solution. The conversation concludes with a request for further help with simplifying the equation.
  • #1
jk4
[SOLVED] Force using relativistic momentum

I have an example problem in a textbook I'm reading:

"Find the acceleration of a particle of mass m and velocity v when it is acted upon by the constant force F, where F is parallel to v.

then it proceeds to show the solution:

[tex]F = \frac{d}{dt}(\gamma mv) = m\frac{d}{dt}(\frac{v}{\sqrt{1-v^{2}/c^{2}}})[/tex]

I get all that so far. The next step is where it loses me:

[tex]= m[\frac{1}{\sqrt{1-v^{2}/c^{2}}} + \frac{v^{2}/c^{2}}{(1-v^{2}/c^{2})^{3/2}}] \frac{dv}{dt}[/tex]

so I don't know how they got there... and then the next step confuses me also. They go from above to here:

[tex]= \frac{ma}{(1-v^{2}/c^{2})^{3/2}}[/tex]

and then of course there a few more steps after that one, but I can get those, I'm just confused about those two steps. Please help clarify it for me, thank you.
 
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  • #2
The first step: Use the product (or quotient) rule for taking a derivative.
The second step: Simplify. Start by getting a common denominator.
 
  • #3
ah, of course. I see it now. Thank you for the quick reply.
 
  • #4


I still can't Simplify it to the final form .. can anybody help me with that?? Thank you
 

What is relativistic momentum?

Relativistic momentum is a concept in physics that takes into account the effects of special relativity on an object's momentum. It is a measure of how much an object's motion is affected by its mass and velocity.

How is relativistic momentum calculated?

The formula for calculating relativistic momentum is p = mv/√(1-v^2/c^2), where p is the relativistic momentum, m is the mass of the object, v is its velocity, and c is the speed of light.

What is the difference between relativistic momentum and classical momentum?

The main difference is that classical momentum only takes into account an object's mass and velocity, while relativistic momentum also incorporates the effects of special relativity, such as time dilation and length contraction.

Why is relativistic momentum important?

Relativistic momentum is important because it helps us understand the behavior of objects at high speeds, where the effects of special relativity become significant. It is also a key concept in fields such as particle physics and astrophysics.

How does force affect relativistic momentum?

Force can change an object's momentum by accelerating or decelerating it. In the case of relativistic momentum, force not only affects an object's velocity but also its mass, as mass increases with speed according to the formula m = m0/√(1-v^2/c^2). This means that the same force can have a different effect on an object's momentum depending on its speed.

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