Galilean relativity

E31541

Galilean relativity is the classical principle of relativity stating that the laws of mechanics are the same in all inertial frames related by Galilean transformations, assuming absolute time and Euclidean space.

Observed surface forms (1)

Surface form Occurrences
Galilean invariance 1

Statements (44)

Predicate Object
instanceOf concept in classical mechanics
physical principle
principle of relativity
appliesTo closed mechanical systems
inertial frames
assumes Euclidean space
absolute time
space and time are independent
universal time shared by all observers
breaksDownWhen velocities approach speed of light
contrastsWith special relativity
coordinateTransformation t' = t
x' = x − vt
coreIdea mechanical experiments cannot distinguish uniform straight-line motion from rest
describes equivalence of all inertial frames for mechanical laws
doesNotAccountFor electromagnetic invariance
finite speed of light
domain non-relativistic physics
epistemicStatus approximate law of nature
hasMathematicalFormulation Galilean group symmetry
hasSymmetryGroup Galilean group
historicalPeriod 17th century physics
implies form of Newton’s laws is invariant in all inertial frames
no preferred inertial frame for mechanics
relative velocities add linearly
simultaneity is absolute
spatial distances are frame-independent up to rigid translations and rotations
time intervals are the same in all inertial frames
incompatibleWith constancy of speed of light postulate
inspired development of classical mechanics
namedAfter Galileo Galilei
partOf Newtonian mechanics
precedes Einsteinian relativity
recoveredAsLimitOf special relativity at low velocities
relatedConcept Galilean relativity self-linksurface differs
surface form: Galilean invariance

Newton's first law of motion
surface form: Newton’s first law of motion

inertial reference frame
principle of inertia
states laws of mechanics are the same in all inertial frames
usedIn Newtonian celestial mechanics
classical fluid dynamics
classical rigid body dynamics
uses Galilean transformations
validInRegime low velocities compared to speed of light

Referenced by (3)

Full triples — surface form annotated when it differs from this entity's canonical label.

Galilean relativity relatedConcept Galilean relativity self-linksurface differs
this entity surface form: Galilean invariance
Michelson–Morley experiment relatedConcept Galilean relativity
Newtonian absolute time usedIn Galilean relativity