Scribd
Upload
25 views

Physics 332 Special Relativity

This document discusses key concepts of special relativity including: 1) The history of measurements showing that the speed of light is constant in all reference frames, which led to Einstein developing special relativity. 2) Special relativity considers non-accelerating reference frames and two postulates - the laws of physics are the same in all inertial frames, and the speed of light is constant. 3) Consequences of the constant speed of light include time dilation, length contraction, and relativity of simultaneity.

Uploaded by

FisModerna Fisica Ieica Esimez Ipn
Copyright
© © All Rights Reserved
We take content rights seriously. If you suspect this is your content, claim it here.
Available Formats
Download as PPTX, PDF, TXT or read online on Scribd
25 views

Physics 332 Special Relativity

This document discusses key concepts of special relativity including: 1) The history of measurements showing that the speed of light is constant in all reference frames, which led to Einstein developing special relativity. 2) Special relativity considers non-accelerating reference frames and two postulates - the laws of physics are the same in all inertial frames, and the speed of light is constant. 3) Consequences of the constant speed of light include time dilation, length contraction, and relativity of simultaneity.

Uploaded by

FisModerna Fisica Ieica Esimez Ipn
Copyright
© © All Rights Reserved
We take content rights seriously. If you suspect this is your content, claim it here.
Available Formats
Download as PPTX, PDF, TXT or read online on Scribd
You are on page 1/ 34

Physics

Special Relativity
Speed of Light
• Galileo (1610): “experimentally
instantaneous”.
• Descartes (1637): “must be
instantaneous”.
• Roemer (1676): “is finite in speed”.
• Michelson and Morley (1887): “speed is
independent of observer’s speed”.
• Present day value:
c = 2.99792458 × 108 m/s ( 3 × 108 m/s)
What is a Theory of Relativity?
• Considers the motion of physical systems
relative to each other
– Does an observer measure the same physical
laws in the other system as they would
observe in their own?
– What do both systems observe that are
common?
• First studied by Galileo Galilei (1610)
Albert Einstein
“One thing I have
learned in a long life:
that all our science,
measured against
reality, is primitive and
childlike -- and yet it is
the most precious
thing we have.”
Michelson-Morley Experiment
• Compared light travel time in separate
directions to detect Earth’s motion through
aether.
• Obtained consistent null result
• Speed of light is independent of observer’s
speed
Special Theory of Relativity
• Builds on results of Michelson-Morley
experiment
• Important role of speed of light in a
vacuum
• Considers non-accelerated motion only
• Key ideas:
– inertial reference frames
– clocks, meter sticks
– observers
Special Theory of Relativity
First Postulate: The laws of physics are the
same in all inertial reference frames

Second Postulate: The speed of light is


constant with respect to all observers,
regardless of their motion
Invariance of c
Special Theory of Relativity
• If speed of light is the same, space and
time must change relatively between
reference frames
• Each observer sees in the other reference
frame
– Length contraction
– Time dilation
Definition of Terms
• You observe from your reference frame
– L0 = length interval
– T0 = time interval
• The other reference frame is moving with
respect to you
– v = relative speed of other frame
– L = length interval
– T = time interval
Simultaneity
Simultaneity
Simultaneity
Time Dilation
“Moving clocks run slow”

T0
T
1  (v / c ) 2
Time Dilation
Observed Length of Time Interval in Moving
Frame

Interval (h) 6
4
Time

2
0
0
0.2
0.4
0.6
0.8
v/c
Time Dilation – Photon Clock
Relativistic Return Trip to Alpha
Centauri*
v/c  t (Jim) t (Jill)
0.1 1.00504 86.0y 85.57y
0.25 1.03280 34.4y 33.31y
0.5 1.15470 17.2y 14.90y
0.75 1.51186 11.46667y 7.584y
0.9 2.29416 9.555556y 4.165y
0.999 22.3663 8.608609y 140.6d
0.999999 707.107 8.600009y 4.442d
*4.3 light years away. Jim stays on Earth, Jill flies to Alpha Centauri.
Twin Paradox

Whose clock runs slow?


Length Contraction
“Moving meter sticks are shortened”

L  L0 1  (v / c) 2
Length Contraction
Observed Length of a Meter Stick in Moving
Frame

1
Length (m)

0.5

0
0
0.2
0.4
0.6
v/c 0.8
Relativistic “Rotation”
Four Dimensional Spacetime

c
1

ds   dt   2 dx   dy   dz 
2 2 2 2

Relativistic Addition of Velocities
Relativistic Momentum and Mass
Relativistic Momentum and Mass
mv
p  mv  mrel v
2
1 v 2
c

m
mrel 
2
1 v 2
c
Relativistic Energy
K    1mc 2

2
mc
E  K  mc  mc 
2 2
2
1 v 2
c
Impact of Special Relativity
• It would take infinite energy to make an
object with mass move at the speed of
light.
• This result is verified millions of times each
day in particle accelerators.
• Transfer of information at speeds greater
than the speed of light would seem to
violate causality.
Relativistic Doppler Effect
Relativistic Doppler Effect
Classical Result (Giancoli 16-7) Relativistic Result (Giancoli 37-12)

 v cv
  0 1     0
 c cv
f0
f 
 v c cv
1   f   f0
 c  cv

You might also like