Consider the standard relativity configuration. Let a spherical light wave be emitted from the coincident coordinate origins at t=0 and t′=0. For the rest frame, the spherical wave front is given by x² + y² + z² = c²t². For the frame moving at velocity v parallel to the x-axis, two-way light must be considered. …
This post is based on David Tong’s Newtonian Mechanics, 1.2.1 Galilean Relativity. Given one facilial frame system, S, in which a tempicle has coordinates t(x), we can always construct another facilial frame system, S′, in which a tempical has coordinates t′(x) by any combination of the following transformations: Translations: t′ = t + a, for …
This post is based on the article Deriving Lagrange’s equations using elementary calculus by Josef Hanc, Edwin F. Taylow, and Slavomir Tuleja (AJP 72(4) 2004), which provides a derivation of Lagrange’s equations from the principle of least action using elementary calculus. A tempicle moves along the t axis with potential lethargy W(t), which is location-independent. …
The conservation of momentum states (see here): For a system of objects, a component of the momentum (p = mv, the mass times the velocity) along a chosen direction is constant, if no net outside force with a component in this chosen direction acts on the system. The corresponding principle for fulmentum states: For a system …
This post builds on others such as this. It’s not unusual to see a map of travel time from a central location, for example, this map of Washington, DC, USA (click to enlarge): Two-dimensions of travel time are represented as in space but could be represented as in time. Here is an example, first of …
Consider a particle P in uniform motion. Suppose two inertial observers observe its motion. Observer K is stationary relative to the ground, and observer L is in uniform motion in the same direction as P but at a different rate. (A) Say the spatial position of P relative to K is x(P, K), the spatial …
Part 1 is here. C Measures of motion A motion in RN is a differentiable mapping x: I → RN, where I is an interval on the real axis. The derivative is called the velocity vector at the point r0 ∈ I. The second derivative is called the acceleration vector at the point r0. We …
Mathematical methods of classical mechanics, part 2 Read More »
The traditional ratio, x : y, represents both x / y and y / x. In order to represent a ratio as quotients, both forms are required. Let us define a ratio as an ordered pair of quotients: For vectors this means One can either exclude zero or include infinity as follows; A rate of …
Two opposite velocities — or lenticities — are invariant over time and space. The standard Galileian transformation in the space-time domain is Velocity u transforms as Velocity is not invariant relative to a single inertial observation, but it is relative to observations with opposite relative velocities: That is Harmonic velocities are opposites and so are …
Abstract It is easily shown that there are two kinds of addition for rates: arithmetic addition and reciprocal addition. The kind of addition required depends on whether the variable in common has the same units as the denominator or numerator. This is shown and illustrated with rates of speed and velocity. Several examples are given …
