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Key Terms

classical (Galilean) velocity addition
method of adding velocities when v<<c;v<<c; velocities add like regular numbers in one-dimensional motion: u=v+u′,u=v+u′, where v is the velocity between two observers, u is the velocity of an object relative to one observer, and u′u′ is the velocity relative to the other observer
event
occurrence in space and time specified by its position and time coordinates (x, y, z, t) measured relative to a frame of reference
first postulate of special relativity
laws of physics are the same in all inertial frames of reference
Galilean relativity
if an observer measures a velocity in one frame of reference, and that frame of reference is moving with a velocity past a second reference frame, an observer in the second frame measures the original velocity as the vector sum of these velocities
Galilean transformation
relation between position and time coordinates of the same events as seen in different reference frames, according to classical mechanics
inertial frame of reference
reference frame in which a body at rest remains at rest and a body in motion moves at a constant speed in a straight line unless acted on by an outside force
length contraction
decrease in observed length of an object from its proper length L0L0 to length L when its length is observed in a reference frame where it is traveling at speed v
Lorentz transformation
relation between position and time coordinates of the same events as seen in different reference frames, according to the special theory of relativity
Michelson-Morley experiment
investigation performed in 1887 that showed that the speed of light in a vacuum is the same in all frames of reference from which it is viewed
proper length
L0;L0; the distance between two points measured by an observer who is at rest relative to both of the points; for example, earthbound observers measure proper length when measuring the distance between two points that are stationary relative to Earth
proper time
ΔτΔτ is the time interval measured by an observer who sees the beginning and end of the process that the time interval measures occur at the same location
relativistic kinetic energy
kinetic energy of an object moving at relativistic speeds
relativistic momentum
p→,p→, the momentum of an object moving at relativistic velocity; p→=γmu→p→=γmu→
relativistic velocity addition
method of adding velocities of an object moving at a relativistic speeds
rest energy
energy stored in an object at rest: E0=mc2E0=mc2
rest frame
frame of reference in which the observer is at rest
rest mass
mass of an object as measured by an observer at rest relative to the object
second postulate of special relativity
light travels in a vacuum with the same speed c in any direction in all inertial frames
special theory of relativity
theory that Albert Einstein proposed in 1905 that assumes all the laws of physics have the same form in every inertial frame of reference, and that the speed of light is the same within all inertial frames
speed of light
ultimate speed limit for any particle having mass
time dilation
lengthening of the time interval between two events when seen in a moving inertial frame rather than the rest frame of the events (in which the events occur at the same location)
total energy
sum of all energies for a particle, including rest energy and kinetic energy, given for a particle of mass m and speed u by E=γmc2,E=γmc2, where γ=11−u2c2γ=11−u2c2
world line
path through space-time
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