Relativistic Energy

Relativistic energy is a concept in physics that accounts for the effects of special relativity on the energy of an object, especially when it is moving at a significant fraction of the speed of light.  The most famous equation describing this relationship is Einstein's mass-energy equivalence equation as  \( E = m \; c^2  \).

This equation indicates that mass and energy are interchangeable and directly proportional to each other.  When an object is not moving (at rest), its relativistic energy (\(E\)) is equivalent to its rest mass (m) times the speed of light (\(c\)) squared.  However, as the object's speed approaches the speed of light, special relativity introduces corrections to classical physics.

In this equation, the term  \(p^2 c^2\)  accounts for the kinetic energy associated with the object's motion, and  \(m_o^2\;c^2\)  represents the rest energy.  The square root ensures that the energy is always positive.

As the speed of the object increases, the relativistic energy becomes significantly larger than the classical kinetic energy  \(\frac{1}{2}\;m\;v^2\)  predicted by classical mechanics.  The effects become more pronounced as the object's velocity approaches the speed of light, and this is especially relevant for particles moving at high speeds, such as those encountered in particle accelerators or cosmic rays.

 

Relativistic Energy formula
\( E = \sqrt{  p^2 \; c^2 + m_o^2 \; c^4 }\)
Symbol	English	Metric
\( E \) = Relativistic Energy	\(lbf-ft\)	\(J\)
\( p \) = Oject Momentum	\(lbm-ft\;/\;sec\)	\(kg-m\;/\;s\)
\( m_o \) = Rest Mass	\(lbm\)	\(kg\)