[Phys-L] Re: Help on a problem from Goldstein

[Hugh Logan <hloganPHY@CFL.RR.COM>]

Correction:

> Rindler's assertion that this is approximately pi*(G*M)^2/(c^2*h^2) if
> the fraction is small can be seen by
> writing p^-1=[1-G*M^2/(c^2*h^2)]^(-1/2)and applying the binomial theorem.
The last equation should have been written as

p^-1={1-[(G*M)^2/(c^2*h^2)]}^(-1/2)  .

The Coulomb constant, k, replaced by G*M, was squared. The binomial approximation gives the result asserted by Rindler. According to the latter, the result obtained from general relativity for a similar differential equation is p^2=1-[6*(G*M)^2/(c^2*h^2)], which should yield an approximate advance of the perihelion six times as great as for the special relativistic case -- in close agreement with the figures quoted from Goldstein.

Hugh Logan
Retired physics teacher
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