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Compute the kinetic energy of a proton (mass 1.67 \(\times\) 10\(^{-27}\) kg) using both the nonrelativistic and relativistic expressions, and compute the ratio of the two results (relativistic divided by nonrelativistic) for speeds of (a) 8.00 \(\times\) 107 m/s and (b) 2.85 \(\times\) 108 m/s.

Short Answer

Expert verified
Ratios are 1.04 and 2.12 for speeds 8.00×10^7 m/s and 2.85×10^8 m/s, respectively.

Step by step solution

01

Nonrelativistic Kinetic Energy Formula

The nonrelativistic kinetic energy (KE) is calculated using the formula \( KE = \frac{1}{2}mv^2 \), where \( m \) is the mass and \( v \) is the velocity of the particle.
02

Nonrelativistic Kinetic Energy for 8.00 × 10^7 m/s

Substitute the given values into the formula: \( KE = \frac{1}{2} \times 1.67 \times 10^{-27} \times (8.00 \times 10^7)^2 \). Calculate to find \( KE \approx 5.34 \times 10^{-13} \) J.
03

Nonrelativistic Kinetic Energy for 2.85 × 10^8 m/s

Similarly, substitute into the formula: \( KE = \frac{1}{2} \times 1.67 \times 10^{-27} \times (2.85 \times 10^8)^2 \). Calculate to find \( KE \approx 6.78 \times 10^{-12} \) J.
04

Relativistic Kinetic Energy Formula

Relativistic kinetic energy is calculated by \( KE_{rel} = ( rac{1}{\sqrt{1 - \frac{v^2}{c^2}}} - 1)mc^2 \), where \( c \) is the speed of light, \( 3.00 \times 10^8 \) m/s.
05

Relativistic Kinetic Energy for 8.00 × 10^7 m/s

Substitute the values into the relativistic formula: \( KE_{rel} = (\frac{1}{\sqrt{1 - \frac{(8.00 \times 10^7)^2}{(3.00 \times 10^8)^2}}} - 1) \times 1.67 \times 10^{-27} \times (3.00 \times 10^8)^2 \). Calculate \( KE_{rel} \approx 5.54 \times 10^{-13} \) J.
06

Relativistic Kinetic Energy for 2.85 × 10^8 m/s

Substitute into the relativistic formula: \( KE_{rel} = (\frac{1}{\sqrt{1 - \frac{(2.85 \times 10^8)^2}{(3.00 \times 10^8)^2}}} - 1) \times 1.67 \times 10^{-27} \times (3.00 \times 10^8)^2 \). Calculate \( KE_{rel} \approx 1.44 \times 10^{-11} \) J.
07

Compute Ratio for 8.00 × 10^7 m/s

The ratio of relativistic to nonrelativistic kinetic energy is \( \frac{KE_{rel}}{KE_{nonrel}} = \frac{5.54 \times 10^{-13}}{5.34 \times 10^{-13}} \approx 1.04 \).
08

Compute Ratio for 2.85 × 10^8 m/s

The ratio for this speed \( \frac{KE_{rel}}{KE_{nonrel}} = \frac{1.44 \times 10^{-11}}{6.78 \times 10^{-12}} \approx 2.12 \).

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Key Concepts

These are the key concepts you need to understand to accurately answer the question.

Nonrelativistic Kinetic Energy
Kinetic energy helps us understand how objects in motion carry energy due to their speed. The nonrelativistic kinetic energy applies when speeds are significantly lower than the speed of light. The formula for this is straightforward: \( KE = \frac{1}{2}mv^2 \). In this formula:
  • \( m \) represents the mass of the object.
  • \( v \) stands for the velocity of the object.
  • \( KE \) is the kinetic energy.
For example, using the speed of 8.00 \( \times \) 10\(^7\) m/s and a mass of 1.67 \( \times \) 10\(^{-27}\) kg, we simply substitute the values into the equation to find the kinetic energy: \( KE \approx 5.34 \times 10^{-13} \) J. This method is based on the classical Newtonian physics trail, which works perfectly for speeds much less than the speed of light. But, keep in mind, as speeds increase, especially nearing the speed of light, this formula becomes less accurate.
Relativistic Kinetic Energy
When velocities approach the speed of light, the relativistic kinetic energy becomes important as it accounts for the effects of Einstein's theory of relativity. The equation is more complex but essential for high-velocity objects:\[ KE_{rel} = \left( \frac{1}{\sqrt{1 - \frac{v^2}{c^2}}} - 1 \right)mc^2 \]In this equation:
  • \( c \) is the speed of light, approximately \( 3.00 \times 10^8 \) m/s.
  • \( v \) is the speed of the object.
  • \( m \) is the mass.
For example, when the speed is 8.00 \( \times \) 10\(^7\) m/s, the relativistic kinetic energy computes to around \( 5.54 \times 10^{-13} \) J. Notice that this value is just slightly higher than the nonrelativistic value for the same speed. The relativistic formula accounts for the increase in mass a particle undergoes as it accelerates towards the speed of light, ensuring energy calculations remain accurate.
Energy Ratios
Understanding the difference between nonrelativistic and relativistic kinetic energy is crucial, particularly when comparing their results. The energy ratio is the comparison of these two forms of kinetic energy. It's calculated by dividing the relativistic kinetic energy by the nonrelativistic kinetic energy.Let's look at the example with a speed of 8.00 \( \times \) 10\(^7\) m/s:- Relativistic KE: \( 5.54 \times 10^{-13} \) J.- Nonrelativistic KE: \( 5.34 \times 10^{-13} \) J.Thus, the ratio \( \frac{KE_{rel}}{KE_{nonrel}} \approx 1.04 \). This ratio tells us the relativistic kinetic energy is slightly higher at this speed.When this speed increases to 2.85 \( \times \) 10\(^8\) m/s, the difference becomes more pronounced:- Relativistic KE: \( 1.44 \times 10^{-11} \) J.- Nonrelativistic KE: \( 6.78 \times 10^{-12} \) J.Here, the ratio is \( \approx 2.12 \), indicating a more significant difference due to the object's increased speed. These ratios highlight how essential relativistic physics becomes as speeds increase, showing that classical equations eventually fall short at accurately describing reality.

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Most popular questions from this chapter

Everyday Time Dilation. Two atomic clocks are carefully synchronized. One remains in New York, and the other is loaded on an airliner that travels at an average speed of 250 m/s and then returns to New York. When the plane returns, the elapsed time on the clock that stayed behind is 4.00 h. By how much will the readings of the two clocks differ, and which clock will show the shorter elapsed time? (\(Hint\): Since \(u \ll c\), you can simplify \(\sqrt{1 - u^2/c^2}\) by a binomial expansion.)

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