Classical momentum is a simple idea that says momentum (which we can think of as “how much motion” something has) is calculated using the formula (p = mv). Here, (p) stands for momentum, (m) is mass, and (v) is speed. This formula works well when things are moving slowly, but it starts to break down when objects move really fast, especially close to the speed of light.
Here are some key problems:
Changing Mass: When things move close to the speed of light, their mass seems to increase. This makes it hard to use our simple momentum formula.
Unexpected Motion: Momentum doesn’t change in a straightforward way with speed anymore at high velocities.
To fix this, scientists use a new formula for momentum, written as:
[p = \frac{mv}{\sqrt{1 - \frac{v^2}{c^2}}}]
In this formula, (c) is the speed of light.
This new formula might look complicated, but understanding Lorentz transformations (which help explain how time and space work together at high speeds) can make it easier to get the hang of this concept.
Classical momentum is a simple idea that says momentum (which we can think of as “how much motion” something has) is calculated using the formula (p = mv). Here, (p) stands for momentum, (m) is mass, and (v) is speed. This formula works well when things are moving slowly, but it starts to break down when objects move really fast, especially close to the speed of light.
Here are some key problems:
Changing Mass: When things move close to the speed of light, their mass seems to increase. This makes it hard to use our simple momentum formula.
Unexpected Motion: Momentum doesn’t change in a straightforward way with speed anymore at high velocities.
To fix this, scientists use a new formula for momentum, written as:
[p = \frac{mv}{\sqrt{1 - \frac{v^2}{c^2}}}]
In this formula, (c) is the speed of light.
This new formula might look complicated, but understanding Lorentz transformations (which help explain how time and space work together at high speeds) can make it easier to get the hang of this concept.