Re: 4/3 problem resolution/Action-reaction paradox in pdf format

[David Rutherford <drutherford@SOFTCOM.NET>]

On Mon, 18 Jun 2001 10:13:02 -0400, Bob Sciamanda <trebor@VELOCITY.NET>

wrote:

> David,
> You are using relations which Feynman developed for a charge moving at a
> constant velocity, as viewed from an inertial frame (presumably your lab
> frame).  The CM frame of your two interacting electrons is not inertial.

Why do you say that the CM frame is not inertial? Take the center of
mass of the electrons as the origin of the CM frame. The forces on the
electrons, in the CM frame, are equal and opposite, therefore, the
electrons undergo equal and opposite accelerations. Thus, the center of
mass of the electrons is stationary, from the viewpoint of an observer
at rest in the CM frame, so the CM frame is inertial. But in the
(inertial) lab frame, the electrons don't undergo equal and opposite
accelerations, so the center of mass of the electrons is accelerating,
from the viewpoint of an observer at rest in the lab frame. Thus, the
center of mass of the particles is not inertial in the lab frame. You
can't have the center of mass of the particles accelerating in one
inertial frame (lab frame) and not accelerating in another inertial
frame (CM frame). That's a paradox.

--
Dave Rutherford
"New Transformation Equations and the Electric Field Four-vector"
http://www.softcom.net/users/der555