Acessibilidade / Reportar erro

K calculus: an alternative approach to special relativity

In this paper we present an alternative approach due to Bondi for the special theory of relativity. During the development, we analyse the Bondi diagrams, visual resources from which we can take some information about the analysed systems, and we discuss the K factor of Bondi's theory, which is in the core of this work. We then discuss some of the main results obtained from Einstein's special theory of relativity such as the time dilation, spatial contraction and simultaneity of spatially separated events, besides the Lorentz transformations. We also show other two important results in physics coming from K calculus: the relativistic linear momentum and the total relativistic energy.

K calculus; special relativity; Hermann Bondi; Doppler effect


Sociedade Brasileira de Física Caixa Postal 66328, 05389-970 São Paulo SP - Brazil - São Paulo - SP - Brazil
E-mail: marcio@sbfisica.org.br