Resumen de Comparing Relativistic and Newtonian Motion Under a Constant Force Using Dimensional Analysis and Calculus
Students have difficulty bridging the conceptual gap between Newtonian and relativistic physics, and, consequently, the teaching of special relativity has been discussed extensively in the literature. A comprehensive list of such references is too large to include, but a brief list is given. In this paper, the author presents several exercises, comparing Newtonian and relativistic solutions to one-dimensional motion of a mass M acted upon by a constant force F. Calculations include the speed, time, and distance of travel for which the Newtonian and relativistic predictions differ by a given percentage. Relativistic motion under a constant force has been discussed previously, but the present treatment has important differences, which will be described below.
