adjective
- not involving or based on the theory of relativity; describing motion or phenomena at speeds much slower than the speed of light
Usage: technical; physics
Examples
- In nonrelativistic mechanics, Newton's laws accurately describe the motion of everyday objects.
- The nonrelativistic approximation breaks down when particles approach the speed of light.
- Most classical physics problems are solved using nonrelativistic equations.
- At low velocities, relativistic effects are negligible and nonrelativistic theory applies.
- The nonrelativistic limit of quantum mechanics is useful for studying atomic structure.