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Paper- Special Theory of Relativity

Topic- Special Theory of Relativity

By

Mukesh

Patna Science College

Patna University

Contact number:- 9798930839

Email I.D:- muk1972esh@gmail.com

 Special Theory of Relativity

Special theory of relativity is based on two bold postulates put forward by

Albert Einstein in 1905.

Albert Einstein was the director of Kaiser Wilhelm Institute in Berlin. He came
in 1935 to the Institute for Advanced Study at Princeton.

Gifted with one of the most brilliant minds of our times, he contributed to many
fields of physics besides relativity.

The idea put forward by Einstein through special theory relativity changed our
concept about space and time.

For first time learners, they seem to go against their, everyday experience.

The two fundamental postulates on which this theory is based are:-

(1)Principle Of relativity of uniform motion.

The laws of physics are the same for all systems having a uniform motion of
translation with respect to one another.

As a consequence of this, an observer in any one system cannot detect the

motion of that system by any observation confined to the system.

(2)Principle of constancy of velocity of light.

The speed of light in free space has the same value for all observers irrespective
of their state of motion.

i.e. velocity of light is independent of the relative velocity of source and

observer.

The first postulate is direct consequence of the absence of an absolute or fixed

frame of reference.
*Starting from fundamental postulates, it is possible to show that in a frame of
reference that is moving with respect to observer there should actually be
changes in the observed values of mass, length and time. Accordingly called

 Time dilation
 Length contraction
 Mass variation
Experimental arrangements have been made to verify above consequences.

Other consequences also exist, the most important are, when it is extended to
cover accelerated systems as well as systems in uniform motion.

From this General Theory of Relativity predictions are made with regard to:-

 deflection of light rays passing close to sun.

 decrease in frequency of light emitted by atoms in a strong gravitational
field.

Accurate measurement of apparent position of stars during a total solar eclipse

and spectra of very dense stars (white dwarf) have verified these two optical
effects.

Non-inertial frame of reference

Very often we come across problems in physics, the solutions of which can be
readily obtained if we employ moving co-ordinates systems.

In such problems we usually consider two frames, one fixed in the laboratory
and the other fixed on the moving system.

A moving frame of reference may sometimes, can possess a translational or a

rotational velocity with respect to a fixed frame.

A frame of reference moving with a constant velocity relative to a fixed frame is

called an inertial frame of reference.
If however, a frame of reference is accelerated relative to a fixed frame, it is
called a non-inertial frame.

All inertial frames are equivalent.

References:-

 Fundamentals of Optics; F.A. Jenkins and White

 Concepts of Physics; Harish Chandra Verma
 UGC-CSIR; Trueman’s Specific Series