Physics-I

Unit-I: Theory of Relativity

Lecture-3: Special theory of Relativity

Dr. B. K. Sahoo
Associate Professor of Physics
NIT Raipur
Books

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Unit –I: Theory of Relativity

Outline of the Lecture 3

1. Special Theory of Relativity
2. Einstein’s Postulates
3. The Lorentz Transformation

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 Special Theory of Relativity

 Albert Einstein was only 2 years old

when Michelson and Morley reported
his negative result.
 At the age of 16, Einstein began
thinking about the form of Maxwell’s
equations in moving inertial frames.
 In 1905, at the age of 26, he published
his principle of relativity which is
popularly known as special theory of
relativity.
 The Michelson-Morley experiment set
the stage for Einstein’s special theory
of relativity.

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 Einstein’s Postulates
 Einstein proposed following postulates to make Maxwell’s
equations consistent in all inertial frames. These postulates
were based on MM experimental results. The postulates are:
1) The principle of relativity
The laws of physics are the same in all inertial frames.
2) The constancy of the speed of light
The speed of light in free space has the same value in all
inertial frames of reference.

These are called postulates of Special Theory of Relativity

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 Universal frames do not exists
 He said that unable to detect relative
motion means there is no such
universal frames exists. Thus, every
inertial frame is important and no
inertial frame would be preferred over
other.
 Einstein showed that Maxwell’s
equations are consistent with special
theory of relativity whereas
Newtonian mechanics is not.
 He proposed that both space and time
will vary due to relative motion as c is
universal constant

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 How relative motion changes time
 GT tells positions x and x' vary; but timee
remains same.
 But as per STR, time will vary.
 Simple example :
PV
Gas equation R
T
P V
R is universal constant.  R
T

It means if V →V1, then to keep

ratio R as a constant, T has to be
changed to T1.
x
c is universal constant, so c
t
Now if x →x', then to keep ratio c as a constant, t has to be changed to t'.
x x
 c  c 
t t
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 The Lorentz Transformations (LT)
 MM expt. rejected GT equations due to
1. U = u-v
2. Maxwell’s equation are inconsistent
3. GT are not valid for high speed.
 Special relativity requires a set of transformation equations
which will resolve above issues.
 It will take c constant. Equations should be valid for high
velocity and should be reduced to GT when low velocity will be
considered.
 These equations can be used to transform physical quantities
between inertial frames. These are known as Lorentz
transformation (LT) equations.

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 The Lorentz Transformations (LT)
 LT equations are derived under following assumptions:
1. They should preserve Physics laws in inertial frames.
2. They should preserve the constancy of the speed of light (c) .
3. They should be linear equations in x and x’; so that a single event in
frame S corresponds to a single event in frame S’, as it must.
4. They must be reduced to GT for small velocity.

The simplest linear transformation equation which satisfy above requirements:

 γ is called relativistic parameter

 Here γ does not depend upon either x or t ; but may be a function of v.

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Derivation of LT
 At t = 0, the origins and axes
of K and K' are coincident.
Now K' start moving to right
along x axis.
 A flashbulb goes off at the
origins when t = 0.
x x
 According to postulate 2, the  c  c 
speed of light will be c in t t
both systems and the wave
fronts observed in both
systems must be spherical.

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Derivation of LT
Light propagates with speed c in all inertial reference frames
K K’

ct ct’

Spherical wave fronts in K:

Spherical wave fronts in K’:

Finding a Transformation for x'
As per 1st postulates:

As per 2nd postulates:

Using above equations in 1st postulates

Divide each equation by c:

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Finding a Transformation for x'
Substitute t from second equation in the first :

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Finding a Transformation for t’

We know x’ = (x – vt). Substitute in x = (x’ + vt’ ).

x   ( x   vt  vt' )
  2 x   2 vt  vt '
vt '  x(1   2 )   2 vt

Solving for t ’ we obtain:

which may be written in terms of β (= v/c):

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 LT Equations

Above equations can be expressed in more symmetric form:

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LT Inverse Equation

v is replaced by -v: Due to this β changes sign but not

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Remarks on LT

1. If v << c, then β ≈ 0 and we get ≈ 1.

2. We can see now that LT equations reduce to GT equations.

3. Space and time are now not separated.

4. For non-imaginary transformations, the frame velocity cannot

exceed c.

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Properties of 
 Recall β = v/c which is always < 1 for all observers;
because v <<c. Due to this relativistic parameter

1) . But equals 1 only when v = 0.

2) Graph of  and β: (note v ≠ c)

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Properties of

1. Suppose v = 0.01c (i.e. 1% of c)

g= 1 = 1
1 – (0.01c)2/c2 1 – (0.01)2c2/c2

1 = 1 = 1
g=
1 – (0.01)2 1 – 0.0001 0.9999

g = 1.00005
Properties of (cont’d)

Suppose v = 0.1c (i.e. 10% of c)

g= 1 = 1
1 – (0.1c)2/c2 1 – (0.1)2c2/c2

1 = 1 = 1
g=
1 – (0.1)2 1 – 0.01 0.99

g = 1.005
Complete the chart
Frame γ =1/(1-v2/c2)
velocity v
0.01 c 1.00005
0.1 c 1.005
0.5c 1.15
0.6c 1.25
0.8c 1.67
0.9c 2.29
0.99c 7.07
1.00c 
Larger than c Imaginary number