Lorentz Factor
The fundamental relativistic factor by which time dilation, length contraction, and relativistic mass scale for objects moving at velocity v.
Governing formula
γ = 1 / √(1 - v²/c²) = 1 / √(1 - β²)
SI unit
Dimensionless Factor (γ ≥ 1)
In depth
As velocity v approaches the speed of light c, the Lorentz factor γ increases rapidly toward infinity. At rest (v=0), γ = 1; at v = 0.99c, γ ≈ 7.09.
Examples in the real world
Calculating the Lorentz factor γ ≈ 7,000 for high-energy 6.8 TeV protons at CERN's Large Hadron Collider.