Help relativity exam in in 5 hours

  • Thread starter Thread starter nemzy
  • Start date Start date
  • Tags Tags
    Exam Relativity
Click For Summary

Homework Help Overview

The discussion revolves around a problem in special relativity concerning the kinetic energy of an electron, given its mass and momentum. The original poster expresses urgency due to an upcoming exam and seeks clarification on how to calculate kinetic energy without the velocity of the electron.

Discussion Character

  • Exploratory, Assumption checking, Mathematical reasoning

Approaches and Questions Raised

  • Participants discuss the relationship between momentum and kinetic energy in the context of special relativity, with the original poster questioning how to proceed without knowing the velocity. Some suggest using specific equations related to energy and momentum.

Discussion Status

There is an ongoing exploration of different approaches to the problem. One participant has provided an alternative formula for total energy, while another has shared their result from calculations, indicating a variety of interpretations and methods being considered.

Contextual Notes

The original poster notes a lack of velocity information, which is critical for applying the kinetic energy formula directly. The urgency of the situation is emphasized due to the impending exam.

nemzy
Messages
124
Reaction score
0
urgent help relativity exam in in 5 hours

an electrion with mass 9.11e031 kg has momentum 4e-22. what is its kinetic energy

the answer is 6.3e-14 J but i have no idea how to get here

relativity kinetic energy = (y-1)mc^2 where y = 1/(square root of 1-(v^2/c^2)

momentum = ymu

thats as far as i can get , how the hell can u solve this type of problem if they don't give u the velocity of the electron?
 
Last edited:
Physics news on Phys.org
i got 8.78e-14

when plugging into that equation?
 
Use this
[tex]E^{2}=m_{0}^{2}c^{4}+p^{2}c^{2}[/tex] to find the total energy and then from that simply subtract the rest energy...

Daniel.
 
Last edited:
thank u! i was stuck on that problem forever
 
U'd better memorize that formula.It's the most important in the Special Relativity,at least,not in Minkowski space.

Daniel.
 

Similar threads

  • · Replies 6 ·
Replies
6
Views
2K
  • · Replies 4 ·
Replies
4
Views
2K
Replies
10
Views
3K
Replies
1
Views
2K
  • · Replies 4 ·
Replies
4
Views
3K
Replies
55
Views
7K
Replies
33
Views
4K
Replies
17
Views
3K
  • · Replies 6 ·
Replies
6
Views
2K
  • · Replies 17 ·
Replies
17
Views
2K