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