Math 2.0

Relativity and gravitational theory Special relativity: dynamics Concept

Relativistic mechanics

Builds on Special relativityClassical mechanicsFour-momentumFour-velocity

Summary

Relativistic mechanics is the mechanics of particles and bodies that is compatible with special relativity. It replaces the momentum mv⃗m\vec v of Newtonian mechanics by the four-momentum mum u, where uu is the four-velocity. It replaces Newton's second law by the equation dp/dτ=Fdp/d\tau = F along the world line. Its laws keep the same form in all inertial frames. They reduce to classical mechanics when all speeds are small compared with the speed of light cc. It is needed for fast particles, as in particle accelerators and cosmic rays.

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Euclidean space, object, no evidence levelEuclidean spaceobjectFour-momentum, concept, no evidence levelFour-momentumconceptFour-velocity, concept, no evidence levelFour-velocityconceptOrdinary differential equation, concept, no evidence levelOrdinary differential…conceptSpecial relativity, concept, no evidence levelSpecial relativityconceptClassical mechanics, concept, no evidence levelClassical mechanicsconceptRelativistic mechanics, concept, no evidence levelRelativistic mechanicsconcept
Each page uses the pages above it. The colour of the bar on a box shows how strong the evidence is, and the box also gives it as text. The list has the same pages.
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  1. Euclidean space object
  2. Four-momentum concept
  3. Four-velocity concept
  4. Ordinary differential equation concept
  5. Special relativity concept
  6. Classical mechanics concept
  7. Relativistic mechanics concept

Further reading

  1. Web https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Relativistic_mechanics
About this page
TagZBD683ZDDX
URIm2://ZBD683ZDDX
Kindconcept
WritingW0 stub
MSC83A05, 70H40
UsesSpecial relativity, Classical mechanics, Four-momentum, Four-velocity
Same as
Changed3 November 2026

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