What Is Lorentz Factor

This section introduces Lorentz Factor, which is the factor used in the time dilation and other formulas in special relativity.

What Is Lorentz Factor? Lorentz Factor is the factor used in the time dilation formula that expresses the dilated time of a moving clock observed in a stationary frame. Lorentz Factor also appears in several other formulas in special relativity, see other chapters in this book.

Lorentz Factor is usually written as Greek letter gamma and has value of:

gamma = 1/sqrt(1-(v/c)**2)             (T.21) - Lorentz factor
   # v is the speed of the moving clock
   # c is the speed of light

Lorentz Factor has the following properties:

If we use Lorentz factor, the time dilation formula can be expressed as:

T' = (1/sqrt(1-(v/c)**2))*T            (T.20) - time dilation formula
T' = gamma*T                           (T.22) - merging T.21 into T.20
   # Time dilation formula in Lorentz Factor format
Lorentz Factor and Time Dilation Formula
Lorentz Factor and Time Dilation Formula

Table of Contents

 About This Book

 Introduction of Space

 Introduction of Frame of Reference

 Introduction of Time

 Introduction of Speed

 Newton's Laws of Motion

 Introduction of Special Relativity

Time Dilation in Special Relativity

 Time Dilation - Moving Clock Is Slower

 Demonstration of Time Dilation - Amy on the Train

 Demonstration of Time Dilation - Bob on the Ground

 Demonstration of Time Dilation - Formula

What Is Lorentz Factor

 Reciprocity of Time Dilation

 Elapsed Time between Distant Events

 Length Contraction in Special Relativity

 The Relativity of Simultaneity

 Introduction of Spacetime

 Minkowski Spacetime and Diagrams

 Introduction of Hamiltonian

 Introduction of Lagrangian

 Introduction of Generalized Coordinates

 Phase Space and Phase Portrait

 References

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