PHL275H1 Lecture Notes - Cultural Relativism, Scientific Method, Emotivism

In an inertial frame S the Newton's second law reads F =ma.

Show that this law is not correct in a reference frame S' movingpast with a constant

acceleration a1 along the x coordinate axis. For simplicityconsider F to be a constant

force acting along the x coordinate axis as well. Do NOT considerrelativistic effects.

Hint: express the acceleration a' in S' via the acceleration a in Sframe (use formal

definition). The coordinate transformation between two systems isx' = x - v1 t - a

a1 t2/2 where v1 is the relative velocity between S' and S at themoment t = 0 (i.e.

v1 is a constant). Remember that F is the same in both frames.