Sit Dolor Amet

Lorentz Transformations

Lorentz transformation is the relationship between two different coordinate frames that
move at a constant velocity and are relative to each other. The name of the transformation
comes from a Dutch physicist Hendrik Lorentz.

There are two frames of reference, which are:

1.Inertial Frames – Motion with a constant velocity
2.Non-Inertial Frames – Rotational motion with constant angular velocity, acceleration in
curved paths
 Lorentz transformation is only related to change in the inertial frames, usually in the context of special
relativity. This transformation is a type of linear transformation in which mapping occurs between 2 modules that
include vector spaces. In linear transformation, the operations of scalar multiplication and additions are preserved.
This transformation has a number of instinctive features, such as the observer that is moving at different velocity may
measure elapsed times, different distances, and ordering of events but the condition that needs to be followed is that
the speed of light should be the same in all the inertial frames.

Lorentz transformation can also include rotation of space, a rotation that is free of this transformation is
called Lorentz Boost. The space-time interval which occurs between any two events is preserved by this
transformation.
 Comparison:
Time Dilation vs. Length Contraction
Dto = time in reference frame in which two events occur at
same place “proper time”
i.e. if event is clock ticking, then Dto is in the reference frame of
the clock (even if the clock is in a moving spaceship).

v2 Time seems longer

Dt0 = Dt 1 − 2 Dt > Dto from “outside”
c
Lo = length in rest reference frame as object “proper
length”
length of the object when you don’t think it’s moving.

v2 Length seems shorter

L = L0 1 − 2 Lo > L from “outside”
c 46
 Length Contraction

The length of an object will contract (in the direction parallel to

its motion) when traveling at relativistic speeds. This "shortening" of
length is called length contraction. The equation for calculating the
length as seen by an outside observer is as follows:

L = L0((1 - v2/c2))1/2

where: L = the length measured by the "other" observer

L0 = the length measured by the observers on reference frame
v = the speed of the object
c = the speed of light in a vacuum
The relativity factor shows up in:

Length
L = L0/γ = L0
contraction:
Time dilation T = γT0 = T0
Relativistic
m = γm0 = m0
mass:
Example:

A rocket of length 5 meters passes an observer on earth. The observer measures the
passing rocket to be 3 meters long. What is the velocity of the rocket in the reference frame
of the Earth-based observer?
A spacecraft passes you at a speed of 0.80c. The proper length of the spacecraft is 120 m. Determine the length
that you measure as it passes you.
An object at rest is 5.0 m long, but when it drives past a stationary observer, the observes measures it to be only
4.5 m long. Determine how fast the object is moving.
A rocket with a proper length of 33 m moves past you at speed v, and you measure its length to be 26 m.
Determine the rocket's speed.