Chapter 37.

 Relativity
Chapter 37. Relativity
Topics:
•Relativity: What’ss It All About?  
•Relativity: What It All About?
•Galilean Relativity  
•Einstein’ss Principle of Relativity  
•Einstein Principle of Relativity
•Events and Measurements  
•The
The Relativity of Simultaneity  
Relativity of Simultaneity
•Time Dilation  
•Length Contraction  
g
•The Lorentz Transformations  
•Relativistic Momentum  
•Relativistic Energy
 Reference frames
Defn: Inertial reference frame is one in body 
D f I ti l f f i i b d
moves at constant velocity if the there is no 
force acting upon it

Two inertial reference frames, one traveling at 
constant velocity with respect to the other.

“special
special relativity
relativity” ‐‐‐ frames do not accelerate 
frames do not accelerate
w.r.t. each other.

All experimenters that are at rest with one 
another share the same reference frame.
The Galilean Transformations
Chapter 4:
p
S  x, y, z 
S'  x', y', z'.
,y,
S' moves with velocity v relative 
to S along the x‐axis. 
The Galilean transformations of 
position are:

The Galilean transformations 
Th G lil t f ti
of velocity are:
The Galilean Transformations
Chapter 4:
p
 Using Galilean Transformations
Chapter 10: 
p
Elastic collisions and conservation of 
momentum

Transform velocity to where one object is at rest w.r.t. other, 
Transform velocity to where one object is at rest w.r.t. other,
solve collision problem, and then transform back
 Einstein’s Principle of Relativity

• Maxwell’s equations are true in all inertial reference 
frames.
• Maxwell
Maxwell’ss equations predict that electromagnetic 
equations predict that electromagnetic
waves, including light, travel at speed c = 3.00 × 108 m/s.
• Therefore, light travels at speed c in all inertial 
reference frames.

Phenomenological Proof:
Phenomenological Proof:
1. Thorndike and Kennedy: Interferometer (similar to Michelson‐Morley Expt); No relative 
fringe shift when earth moves in orbit 6 months apart  v ~ 60 km/s
 Relativity: Analysis of time
It
It was always assumed that time is the same in all reference frames
l d th t ti i th i ll f f

The implications of the speed of light being the same in all reference frames is that space 
and time MUST change in different reference frames.
g

To analyze the situation, we make some definition and set up our reference frames and 
clocks.

Event: Physical activity that takes place at a definite point in space and time
Space time coordinates: (x,y,z,t)
 Relativity: Analysis of time
Two events are simultaneous if they occur at two different places but at the same time 
as measured in the SAME reference frame

If the light from the “right” (front) firecracker 
reaches detector first, the light is green.

If the light from the “left” (back) firecracker 
reaches the detector first or at the same time as 
the “right”
the  right  (front) firecracker, then the light turns 
(front) firecracker, then the light turns
red.
 Ryan’s Reference frame analysis

Light is Green since “right” firecracker light reaches detector first.
Peggy’s Reference frame WRONG analysis
IF you ASSUME that the firecrackers are simultaneous in Peggy’s frame as well, a 
y ggy
false assumption, then the light should be RED

Light should be RED since light reaches detector at same time, which is wrong.
Peggy’s Reference frame Correct analysis
Ryan must detect the two waves 
simultaneously. Everything flows from this 
idea.

Since the wave from the right firecracker must 
travel further to reach Ryan IN PEGGY’s 
FRAME it
FRAME, it must have exploded before the left 
th l d db f th l ft
firecracker IN PEGGY’s FRAME.

The firecrackers are NOT simultaneous in 
Peggy’s frame, although they are in Ryan’s 
frame

The light is green.

“simultaneity” is relative ‐‐‐ that is, whether 
two events occur at the same time is 
dependent upon your reference frame 
Analysis of time –– Time dilation
Analysis of time 
“Light” clock – Light pulse fires from source, 
bounces off of mirror and back into detector, and 
immediately fires off the next pulse. 

Assume the source and detector are at the same 
Assume the source and detector are at the same
place.

Our conclusions based on our analysis of the “light 
clock” will be true for any type of clock (heart beat, 
l k” ill b t f t f l k (h t b t
grandfather clock, digital watch, etc.)

Goal: Compare the differences between two time 
intervals of 1 tick of the clock in frame S and S’ 

We already know that the time intervals are 
We already know that the time intervals are
different since Ryan measured t=0 between two 
events (simultaneous) while Peggy measured 
nonzero 

Event 1: Emission of light pulse
Event 2: Detection of light pulse
Shortest time between ticks is in the frame 
where the clock is at rest ‐‐‐ That is, the frame 
in which the two events (emission and 
detection) are measured with the same clock. 
In this case, this is called the proper time and is 
notated as 
notated as .

MORE time passes per tick in frame S in which 
the clock is moving than in the stationary 
frame S’.
 Time dilation Evidence
1. 1971 --- Clock on ground synchronized with clock on plane; Plane takes off
and travels around the world back to original location. The clock on the plane
was slower (by 200ns)

2. Muon radioactive decay --- Stationary Muons decays with half life 1.5 us in
atmosphere. Fast moving muons from cosmic rays should not make it to the
ground. A large percentage make it due to time dilation
 Twin Paradox
Two twins, call them Earl and Roger:
Earl is on Earth
Roger is in Rocket

Roger takes off at relativistic velocity to Jupiter and back. Both Roger and Earl
measure the take off event and the return event with the same clock in their
p
respective reference frames.

Who is it that is measuring the proper time? Both Roger and Earl think they are
measuring Proper time and think that the other guy should be younger (slower
clock) than themselves
themselves.

There is another intermediary event: the rocket decelerates and accelerates to turn
around and go back to earth. Since this event is not measured by Earl with the
same clock, Earl is not measuring proper time. Roger measures proper time.
Therefore Roger is younger than Earl upon his return.

Caveat: The ‘lost’

lost time must be associated with the acceleration and deceleration
deceleration….
 Length Contraction

Rocket (S’ frame) measures proper time: Both events with one clock (same place)

Proper length – length measured in frame where object is at rest

Length Contraction
Length Contraction
Space‐‐time interval
Space

Invariant with respect to translation and rotation –

meaning it has the same value no matter how your
reference frame is rotated or translated
Space‐‐time interval
Space

h iss invariant
a a no o matter
a e how
o
fast the reference frame is
moving
 Space‐‐time interval
Space
h is invariant no matter how
fast the reference frame is
moving

S is an invariant in relativity --- all observers will measure

the same spacetime interval between two events
Lorentz transformation
Lorentz transformation
Lorentz transformation
Lorentz transformation
Lorentz transformation
Lorentz velocity transformation
Lorentz transformation
Relativistic Momentum
Relativistic Momentum
Relativistic Momentum
Relativistic Momentum
Causality and Information Flow
 Relativistic Energy

Conservation of energy
gy in Newtonian dynamics:
y

We would expect the law of conservation of energy to not hold since it

involves the momentum.

We will derive a new law that reduces to the old one in the limit of small
velocity
Relativistic Energy
Relativistic Energy
Relativistic Energy
 Relativistic Energy

An inherent energy associated with the particles rest mass!

Relativistic Energy
Relativistic Energy