The compatibility of the Newtonian formulation of mechanical energy and the transformation equations of Galilean relativity is demonstrated for three simple examples of motion treated in most introductory physics courses (free fall, a frictionless inclined plane, and a mass/spring system). Only elementary concepts and mathematics, accessible to students at that level, are used. Emphasis is on pedagogy and concepts related to the transformation properties of potential energy.
References
1.
Common introductory physics texts include various editions of: D. C. Giancoli (Pearson, Prentice Hall); P. A. Tipler (W. H. Freeman); R. Wolfson (Pearson, Addison-Wesley); H. D. Young and R. A. Freedman (Pearson, Addison-Wesley); and R. A. Serway and J. W. Jewett (Brooks/Cole).
2.
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This is a valid approximation, since Earth’s mass, 5.97×1024 kg, is very much larger than that of terrestrial objects falling from heights much less than Earth’s radius, 6.38×106 m.
7.
© 2018 American Association of Physics Teachers.
2018
American Association of Physics Teachers
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