Equal energies mean in the linear approximation. Evaluate the coefficients at particle , where , and use . The fractional rest mass change is
Consequently
As a check beyond the requested first-order approximation, exact equality of relativistic energy gives , consistent with the sign and approximate size of the difference.
Take the total differential of the logarithm of the relativistic energy, with the speed of light fixed:
Using the chain rule,
Every term is a dimensionless fractional change. The differential relation is exact; applying it to finite small changes is a first-order Taylor expansion.
For a photon, the photon energy formula and the vacuum relation give . For an Electron, the de Broglie wavelength gives the same momentum magnitude , but the nonrelativistic kinetic energy is . Using , and ,
Thus, to the precision of the wavelength,
The electron answer is its kinetic energy, as required for the diffraction experiment; its relativistic energy would additionally include the approximately rest energy. Since , the nonrelativistic approximation is well justified. Equal wavelengths imply equal momenta, not equal energies for particles with different energy–momentum relations.
Momentum identity. From the Lorentz factor, . The relativistic three-momentum therefore satisfies
Together with relativistic energy , this gives the energy–momentum relation .
Parent in the laboratory. The rest energy is , while the total relativistic energy is . Consequently
Its momentum magnitude is .
Daughters in the zero-momentum frame. The centre-of-momentum frame is initially the parent's rest frame. Conservation of momentum gives . Equal daughter rest masses then imply equal relativistic energies. Conservation of relativistic energy gives
Their speeds are therefore
The two velocities are opposite, and . Their total kinetic energy is .
Invariant of the complete system. Before the decay, in the centre-of-momentum frame,
After the relativistic two-body decay,
In the laboratory, four-momentum conservation fixes the summed daughter energy to and their summed momentum to the parent's . Thus the same calculation is
The invariant is formed after summing the daughter four-momenta; adding their separate squared rest energies would omit the relative-motion contribution to the invariant mass of the pair.