Major difference of Inertial and non-inertial frame of reference ??

jamesfirst

What is the major difference or differences of Inertial and non-Inertial frame of reference??


Is it only:

Inertial - Constant velocity, obeys the law of inertia

Non-inertial - Acceleration, disobeys the law of inertia

ghwellsjr

Do you want a simple answer? Then read the first five posts of this thread:

http://www.physicsforums.com/showthread.php?t=437784

Do you want the most complex answer imaginable? Then read to the end of the thread.

bcrowell

The important thing to realize is that the term is defined in a completely different way in Newtonian mechanics than in GR. Jamesfirst's OP is a decent working definition according to Newtonian mechanics.

ManishR

there is difference and there is another difference.but there is no such thing as major difference (unless u define it).

so inertial frame
consider an object with mass m which is acted by fundamental force (i.e. gravitational or electric.) f.
now frame s would be inertial if
acceleration between the object and the frame = f/m.

if a frame dont satisfy the above equation then its a non inertial frame.

now if there are more objects then a inertial frame has to satisfy the equation for every object.