Solving a Momentum Question: Struggling with Simple Cons?

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In summary, the conversation discusses a scenario where a particle of rest mass 2m in frame S splits into two particles in frame S', with one particle having velocity v and the other having velocity -v. However, this scenario does not conserve energy and results in each particle having more energy than the original particle in frame S. This discrepancy is due to the fact that the velocity addition formula does not hold for this scenario.
  • #1
stallm
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Hi, I've been struggling with this question for a while, can't help but think I'm missing something obvious
Let's say I have a particle of rest mass 2m. In the frame S, it moves with velocity v. S' is the rest frame of the particle. In S, the momentum of the particle (c=1)
[itex]p=\frac{2mv}{\sqrt{1-v^2}}[/itex]

Now, in S', the particle splits into two particles of mass m with velocities v and -v. The particles with -v will be stationary in S, the particle with v will have velocity vnew
[itex]v_{new}=\frac{v+v}{1+v^2}=\frac{2v}{1+v^2}[/itex]
by the velocity addition formula

So the momentum in S
[itex]p=\frac{mv_{new}}{\sqrt{1-v_{new}^2}}[/itex]

This doesn't appear to be equal to the p before (just by trying v=0.5), so something's clearly gone wrong. Can someone help?
Thanks
 
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  • #2
Now, in S', the particle splits into two particles of mass m with velocities v and -v.
This step does not conserve energy. In S' before the split the total energy was 2m. But after the split each particle will have energy greater than m, since it has rest energy m plus kinetic energy.
 
  • #3
Ah I see. Thank you
 

1. What is momentum and why is it important to understand in physics?

Momentum is a measure of an object's motion, and it is defined as the product of its mass and velocity. In physics, momentum is important because it helps us understand how objects move and interact with each other. It is also a conserved quantity, meaning that the total momentum of a closed system remains constant.

2. How do I solve a momentum question?

To solve a momentum question, you will need to use the equation p = mv, where p is momentum, m is mass, and v is velocity. You will also need to consider the direction of the momentum, as momentum is a vector quantity. To solve for an unknown variable, you can use algebraic manipulation or plug in known values and solve for the unknown variable.

3. What is the difference between elastic and inelastic collisions?

Elastic collisions are those in which both kinetic energy and momentum are conserved, meaning that the objects involved bounce off each other without any loss of energy. Inelastic collisions, on the other hand, involve some loss of kinetic energy due to the objects sticking together or other forms of energy transfer.

4. How is momentum related to Newton's Laws of Motion?

Momentum is closely related to Newton's Laws of Motion, particularly the second law which states that the net force acting on an object is equal to the rate of change of its momentum. This means that the more momentum an object has, the more force is required to change its motion.

5. What is the difference between linear and angular momentum?

Linear momentum refers to an object's motion in a straight line, while angular momentum refers to an object's rotational motion. Both types of momentum follow the same principles of conservation and can be calculated using similar equations, but they represent different types of motion.

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