High School Calculating Lorentz Factor with V=0

Click For Summary
The Lorentz factor is calculated using the formula 1/sqrt(1 - v^2/c^2). When v=0, the calculation simplifies to 1/sqrt(1-0), resulting in a Lorentz factor of 1. This indicates that the observer and the object are in the same frame of reference, meaning there is no relativistic effect at this speed. Consequently, if the velocity u is also set to zero in the momentum equation, the momentum will also be zero. Thus, both the Lorentz factor and momentum are straightforward to compute when velocity is zero.
sqljunkey
Messages
181
Reaction score
8
How do I calculate the Lorentz factor with v=0. Or do I not calculate it since it can be said that the observer is in the same frame of reference?
 
Physics news on Phys.org
sqljunkey said:
How do I calculate the Lorentz factor with v=0.

What do you get when you plug ##v = 0## into the formula?
 
  • Like
Likes m4r35n357, vanhees71 and Sorcerer
sqljunkey said:
How do I calculate the Lorentz factor with v=0. Or do I not calculate it since it can be said that the observer is in the same frame of reference?
This is one of those situations where just doing the calculations gives some insight. As PeterDonis just said, replace v with zero:

##\frac{1}{\sqrt{1 - \frac{v^2}{c^2}}}##

Let v = 0:

##\frac{1}{\sqrt{1 - \frac{0^2}{c^2}}}##

##\frac{1}{\sqrt{1 - 0}}##

I'm guessing you can take it from there in terms of arithmetic. So if you saw, say, relativistic momentum

##p = γ(u)mu = \frac{mu}{\sqrt{1 - \frac{u^2}{c^2}}}##

and replaced u with zero, (a) what would the Lorentz factor be and (b) how much momentum would the object have?
 
MOVING CLOCKS In this section, we show that clocks moving at high speeds run slowly. We construct a clock, called a light clock, using a stick of proper lenght ##L_0##, and two mirrors. The two mirrors face each other, and a pulse of light bounces back and forth betweem them. Each time the light pulse strikes one of the mirrors, say the lower mirror, the clock is said to tick. Between successive ticks the light pulse travels a distance ##2L_0## in the proper reference of frame of the clock...

Similar threads

  • · Replies 18 ·
Replies
18
Views
2K
  • · Replies 8 ·
Replies
8
Views
1K
  • · Replies 72 ·
3
Replies
72
Views
7K
  • · Replies 17 ·
Replies
17
Views
2K
  • · Replies 12 ·
Replies
12
Views
3K
  • · Replies 101 ·
4
Replies
101
Views
7K
Replies
3
Views
1K
  • · Replies 7 ·
Replies
7
Views
1K
  • · Replies 12 ·
Replies
12
Views
3K
  • · Replies 31 ·
2
Replies
31
Views
2K