Are All Particle-Rest Inertial Frames the Same?

In summary, according to special relativity, all inertial frames are equivalent for descriptions of physical phenomena. However, for a free particle in free space, the motion can be described by a velocity and a Lorentz boost can be used to get a particle-rest frame where the particle is at rest. It is important to note that while all inertial frames are considered equivalent, the rest frames for two different particles cannot be the same if they are moving with respect to each other.
  • #1
PFfan01
88
2
According to special relativity, all inertial frames of reference are equivalent for descriptions of physical phenomena. Suppose that there is a free particle in free space. Observed in any of the frames, the motion of particle can be described by a velocity, and by Lorentz boost, one can get a particle-rest frame where the particle is at rest. My question is: Are all the particle-rest frames the same?
 
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  • #2
All inertial frames are the same in special relativity, by hypothesis. It's one of the postulates of relativity.
 
  • #3
Sorry, I did not make it clear. What I mean is: Are all the particle-rest frame the same inertial frame? There are no space rotations (corresponding to space orthogonal transformation) between these particle-rest frames?
 
  • #4
You are free to rotate axes, so if I understand your question, there are infinitely many frames in which the particle is at rest. They use different spatial axes but share a timelike axis.
 
  • #5
PFfan01 said:
Sorry, I did not make it clear. What I mean is: Are all the particle-rest frame the same inertial frame? There are no space rotations (corresponding to space orthogonal transformation) between these particle-rest frames?

I suspect you might be misunderstanding "equivalent" in this context. Different inertial frames are not equivalent. The posulates of SR are 1) that the speed of light is the same in all inertial reference frames; and, 2) the laws of physics are the same in all inertial frames.

But, if two particles are moving with respect to each other then their rest frames cannot be the same.
 

1. What is an inertial frame?

An inertial frame is a reference frame in which Newton's first law of motion holds true. This means that an object at rest will remain at rest, and an object in motion will continue to move at a constant velocity, unless acted upon by an external force.

2. What is a particle-rest inertial frame?

A particle-rest inertial frame is a reference frame in which a single point particle is at rest. This means that the frame is not accelerating, and the particle is not experiencing any external forces.

3. Are all particle-rest inertial frames the same?

No, not all particle-rest inertial frames are the same. While they may have the same characteristics, such as the particle being at rest, the frames may have different orientations or positions in space. In other words, they may have different reference points.

4. How do scientists determine if a frame is inertial or not?

Scientists use various experiments and observations to determine if a frame is inertial or not. One common method is to observe the motion of objects in the frame and see if they follow Newton's laws of motion. If the laws hold true, then the frame is considered inertial.

5. Why is it important to understand inertial frames?

Understanding inertial frames is important because it allows scientists to accurately describe and predict the motion of objects. By using inertial frames as a reference point, scientists can eliminate the effects of external forces and focus on the natural motion of an object. This is crucial in fields such as physics, engineering, and astronomy.

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