Physics 12-Special Relativity (2016)
Physics 12-Special Relativity (2016)
Physics 12-Special Relativity (2016)
3269
15478
12-01 Einstein’s Postulates and Time
41508
Dilation
6368
Event
1526 Physical happening in a certain place at a certain time.
22154
Reference Frame
1020 Coordinate system (x, y, z) and clock
95687 i.e. earth, airplane
20215
0002
12-01 Einstein’s Postulates and Time
41508
Dilation
6368
Inertial Reference Frame
1526
22154
Reference frame where Newton’s Law of
1020
Inertia is valid
95687
No acceleration
20215 No rotation
0003
12-01 Einstein’s Postulates and Time
41508
Dilation
6368
Einstein built theory of special relativity on these postulates.
1526 The Relativity Postulate
22154 The laws of physics are the same in every inertial reference
1020 frame.
95687
The Speed of Light Postulate
The speed of light in a vacuum, measured in any inertial
20215 reference frame, always has the same value of c, no matter how
fast the source of light and the observer are moving relative to
each other.
0004
12-01 Einstein’s Postulates and Time
41508
Dilation
6368
Consequences of Relativity Postulate
1526
22154
Any inertial reference frame is as good as
1020
any other.
95687
You can’t say any reference frame is truly at
20215 rest.
There is no absolute velocity or rest, only
velocity relative to the reference frame.
0005
12-01 Einstein’s Postulates and Time
41508
Dilation
6368
Explanation of Speed of Light Postulate
1526 The observer on the truck measures speed of light to be c since
22154 he is holding the light.
Logic says the observer on the ground measures the speed of
1020 light to be c + 15, but he doesn’t.
95687 The observer on the ground measures speed of light to be c also.
20215 Verified by experiment many times.
0006
12-01 Einstein’s Postulates and Time
41508
Dilation
6368
Simultaneous
1526
22154
Just because two events appear
1020
simultaneous to one observer does not mean
95687
all observes see the events simultaneously
20215
0007
12-01 Einstein’s Postulates and Time
41508
Dilation
6368
Astronaut measures time by aiming a laser at a mirror.
1526 The light reflects from the mirror and hits a detector.
22154
The person on earth says that the time of the event
must be longer because she sees the laser beam go
1020
farther.
95687
20215
0008
12-01 Einstein’s Postulates and Time
41508
Dilation
6368
Derivation of Time Dilation
1526
22154
1020
95687
20215
0009
12-01 Einstein’s Postulates and Time
41508
Dilation
6368
Squaring and solving for Δt gives
1526
22154
1020 But the time the astronaut measured is
95687
20215
00010
12-01 Einstein’s Postulates and Time
41508
Dilation
6368
Time Dilation
1526
22154 Where
Where
1020 Δt0 = proper time measured v = relative speed
in a reference frame at rest
95687
relative to the event
between the
20215 Δt = dilated time measured observers
in a reference frame moving c = speed of light
relative to the event
in a vacuum
00011
12-01 Einstein’s Postulates and Time
41508
Dilation
6368
Time dilation was confirmed by J.C. Hafele and
1526
R.E. Keating in 1971 by taking two very accurate
22154 atomic clocks.
1020
One was still on earth and the other was flown
95687
around the world on commercial jets for 45 hours.
20215
00012
41508 12-02 Length Contraction
6368
The
distance measured by a person at rest with the event
1526 is shorter than that measured by person at rest with
22154 respect to the endpoints.
1020
95687
20215
proper length
Length between 2 points as measured by person at rest with
the points.
00013
41508 12-02 Length Contraction
6368
Length only contracts along the direction
1526
22154
of motion, the others stay the same
1020
95687
20215
Rest Moving
00014
41508 12-03 Relativistic Addition of Velocities
6368
What if the combination of the truck and the
1526
ball added to be more than the speed of light?
22154
1020
95687
The ground-based observer would observe the
20215 ball to travel faster than light.
00015
41508 12-03 Relativistic Addition of Velocities
6368
Relativistic Addition of Velocity
1526
22154
1020
95687
20215
00016
41508 12-03 Relativistic Addition of Velocities
6368
Doppler
shift for
1526
relative velocity 𝑢
√
22154
1−
1020
u is relative velocity 𝑐
𝑓 𝑜𝑏𝑠 =𝑓 𝑠
95687
of source to observer
20215
𝑢
Positive if moving
1+
away
𝑐
00017
41508 12-04 Relativistic Momentum
6368
Law of Conservation of Momentum
1526
22154
The total momentum of a closed system
1020
does not change.
95687
p = mv
20215
00018
41508 12-04 Relativistic Momentum
6368
Relativistic
momentum is always higher than
1526
nonrelativistic momentum because
22154
1020
95687
20215
00019
41508 12-04 Relativistic Momentum
6368
Notice that when the
1526 speed is near 0, the
22154 relativistic momentum is
1020 near the nonrelativistic.
95687 When the speed is near
20215 c, the relativistic
momentum increases
exponentially.
00020
41508 12-05 Relativistic Energy
6368
The total energy of an object
1526
22154
1020
95687
If the object is not moving, the rest
20215
energy is
00021
41508 12-05 Relativistic Energy
6368
the object is moving, then the total
If
1526
22154
energy is
1020
95687
20215
00022
41508 12-05 Relativistic Energy
6368
Mass and energy are the same
1526
22154
1020
A change in one, means a change in the other.
95687
20215 For example, you pick up your backpack and
increase its gravitational potential energy.
Since the energy increases, the mass must increase.
So when you carry your backpack, it is actually
heavier than when it is on the ground.
00023
41508 12-05 Relativistic Energy
6368
A final consequence
1526
22154
1020
Objects with mass cannot reach the speed of
95687 light.
20215
00024
41508 12-05 Homework
6368
You have less mass if
1526 you use energy.
22154
1020
95687
20215
00025