Katamari said:Is it possible to skip the equations for kinetic energy by simply adding gamma to the Newtonian kinetic energy equation?
Relativistic kinetic energy is the energy that an object possesses due to its motion at speeds close to the speed of light. It takes into account the effects of special relativity, which states that the mass of an object increases as its velocity approaches the speed of light.
Classical kinetic energy is based on Newton's laws of motion and only takes into account an object's mass and velocity. Relativistic kinetic energy, on the other hand, considers the effects of special relativity and takes into account the increase in an object's mass as its velocity approaches the speed of light.
The formula for calculating relativistic kinetic energy is E = (γ - 1)mc2, where γ is the Lorentz factor, m is the object's mass, and c is the speed of light.
As an object's velocity approaches the speed of light, its relativistic kinetic energy increases significantly. This leads to changes in the object's behavior, such as time dilation and length contraction, which are both consequences of special relativity.
Relativistic kinetic energy is mainly observed in extreme situations, such as in particle accelerators or in space travel. In everyday life, the effects of special relativity are negligible and classical mechanics can be used to describe the behavior of objects.