Relativistic Effect

Physical phenomena observed when the speeds of bodies or particles ν are comparable with the speed of light c are referred to as relativistic effects. Examples of relativistic effects considered in the special theory of relativity are the relativistic contraction of the longitudinal (in the direction of motion) length s, the relativistic dilatation of time, and the increase in mass of a body as the body’s energy increases. For systems of particles, such as atoms and atomic nuclei, where the rotative motion of the particles occurs at speeds ν ≪ c, relativistic effects shift energy levels in proportion to the powers of the ratio v/c. Effects of the general theory of relativity, or the relativistic theory of gravitation, are also said to be relativistic. An example is the slowing of clocks in a strong gravitational field.