Low-Speed Lorentzian Physics

Consider a particle with rest-mass ( m 0 = 1 kg ) (m_0 = \SI{1}{\kilo\gram}) and velocity v v . Suppose we're in an alternate universe in which the "cosmic speed limit" is only 10 m / s \SI[per-mode=symbol]{10}{\meter\per\second} , and that the particle's mass varies with its velocity in the following way:

m = m 0 1 ( v 10 ) 2 m = \frac{m_0}{\sqrt{1-(\frac{v}{10})^{2}}}

In this framework, Newton's Second Law takes a more general form ( F F denotes the net force applied to the particle):

F = d d t ( m v ) F = \frac{d}{dt}(mv)

The particle is initially at rest before a constant 1 N \SI{1}{\newton} force is applied to it. At the instant at which v = 5 m / s v = \SI[per-mode=symbol]{5}{\meter\per\second} , what is the particle's acceleration (in m / s 2 \si[per-mode=symbol]{\meter\per\second\squared} ) (to 2 decimal places)?

Note: All physical quantities are in standard SI units.


The answer is 0.65.

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3 solutions

Anubhav Tyagi
Nov 16, 2016

We are given that mass of an object varies with its velocity as: m = m 0 1 v 2 / c 2 m = \frac{m_0}{\sqrt{1-v^2/c^2}} Also we know that force is rate of change of momentum i.e. F = d d t m v F = \frac{d}{dt}mv So we write force as: F = d d t m 0 v 1 v 2 / c 2 = m 0 ( 1 v 2 / c 2 ) 3 / 2 d v d t \begin{aligned} F &= \frac{d}{dt} \frac{m_0 v}{\sqrt{1-v^2/c^2}} \\ &= \frac{m_0}{(1-v^2/c^2)^{3/2}} \frac{dv}{dt} \end{aligned} replacing d v d t = a \frac{dv}{dt}=a ,We get a = ( 1 v 2 / c 2 ) 3 / 2 m 0 × F \begin{aligned} a &=\frac{\left(1-v^2/c^2\right)^{3/2}}{m_0} \times F \\ \end{aligned} Substituting, v = 5 m s 1 F = 1 N m = 1 kg c = 10 m s 1 \begin{aligned} v= \SI{5}{\meter\per\second} \\ F=\SI{1}{\newton} \\ m=\SI{1}{\kilo\gram} \\ c= \SI{10}{\meter\per\second} \end{aligned}
We get a = 0.65 m / s 2 \begin{aligned} \large{a} &=\boxed{\SI[per-mode=symbol]{0.65}{\meter\per\second\squared}} \\ \end{aligned}

Steven Chase
Nov 7, 2016

Rocco Dalto
Nov 29, 2016

Let c = 10 m / s c = 10 m/s

F = m 0 d d v ( v 1 v 2 c 2 ) d v d t = F = m_{0} \dfrac{d}{dv} (\dfrac{v}{\sqrt{1 - \dfrac{v^2}{c^2}}}) \dfrac{dv}{dt} =

m 0 ( v 2 c 2 ( 1 v 2 c 2 ) 3 2 + 1 ( 1 v 2 c 2 ) 1 2 ) d v d t = m_{0} * (\dfrac{v^2}{c^2 * (1 - \dfrac{v^2}{c^2})^{\dfrac{3}{2}}} + \dfrac{1}{(1 - \dfrac{v^2}{c^2})^{\dfrac{1}{2}}}) \dfrac{dv}{dt} =

m 0 ( 1 v 2 c 2 ) 3 2 d v d t \dfrac{m_{0}}{(1 - \dfrac{v^2}{c^2})^{\dfrac{3}{2}}} \dfrac{dv}{dt} \implies

d v d t = F ( 1 v 2 c 2 ) 3 2 m 0 \dfrac{dv}{dt} = \dfrac{F * (1 - \dfrac{v^2}{c^2})^{\dfrac{3}{2}}}{m_{0}}

Using v = 5 m / s , F = 1 N , v = 5 \: m/s, F = 1 \: N, and m 0 = 1 K g m_{0} = 1 \: Kg with c = 10 m / s c = 10 \: m/s \implies

d v d t = 3 3 8 = . 65 m / s 2 \dfrac{dv}{dt} = \dfrac{3 \sqrt{3}}{8} = .65 \: m/s^2 to two decimal places.

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