Abstract
This chapter generalizes linear momentum and kinetic energy, two key dynamic concepts, so that the conservation laws of linear momentum and energy hold for particle speeds up to the speed of light. The relativistic expression for kinetic energy leads directly to the famous mass–energy relation, E = mc 2 . The chapter provides an overview of the relativistic conservation laws. It explains that the development of relativistic mechanics starts with the generalization of the classical expressions for linear momentum and kinetic energy. The chapter defines the relativistic linear momentum and relativistic energy in such a way that linear momentum and energy are conserved. It presents the relativistic form of linear momentum. The chapter discusses the work-energy theorem to derive relativistic energy from the relativistic momentum. It discusses the relativistic momentum and energy to describe proton–antiproton pair production.
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