Relativity Notes

Theory of Relativity
What is relative?
1. Length is relative
2. Position is relative
3. Time is relative
4. Motion/velocity is relative
5. Size is relative
Frame of References
The motion of the body is described by well-defined coordinated system (x, y, z)

and is known as frame of reference. There are two types of frames of references:
1. Inertial or Non-accelerated frame of reference:
It signifies a coordinate system where the law of inertia holds true or we can say
that ‘object obeys Newton’s Laws of motion’. Here, the system of coordinates is
either at rest or moves with uniform velocity when the body is not acted upon by
any external force.
2. Non-inertial or accelerated frame of reference:
A frame moving with non-uniform velocity, i.e. a body not acted upon by any
external force is always accelerated such that the Newton’s laws are not valid. Eg.
a uniform circular motion of a body, motion of pendulum, etc.
Let’s consider the following figure:
1
If we ask A what velocity of B is, he will say; it is at rest. But if we ask the same
question to C, he will say B is moving with a velocity V in the positive X direction.
So we can see before specifying the velocity we have to specify in which frame we
are or in simple terms, we need to define a frame of reference.
Einstein’s Theory or Relativity:
The theory which deals with relativity of motion and rest is called “Theory of
Relativity” and was developed by Albert Einstein in 1905.
It is divided into two parts:

1. Special relativity and 2. General relativity
Special relativity:
deals with objects or systems, moving with either uniform velocity or at rest w.r.t
one another
WHILE general theory deals with object or system which may speed-up or slow
down w.r.t each other.
Special relativity is a theory of the structure of space-time. It was introduced by
Einstein’s in 1905 paper "On the Electrodynamics of Moving Bodies”.
 Special relativity is based on two postulates:

1. The laws of physics are same for all observers in any/all inertial frames of
reference which are moving with constant velocity relative to one another
(principle of relativity).
1. The speed of light in a vacuum is the same for all observers in all inertial
frames, regardless of their relative motion or of the motion of
the light source, i.e., speed of light is same in all directions, no matter
whether the source of light is moving or stationary. Eg: explains the results
of the Michelson–Morley experiment
2
Moreover, the theory has many surprising and counter intuitive consequences.
Some of these are:
 Relativity of simultaneity: Two events, simultaneous for one observer, may not
be simultaneous for another observer if the observers are in relative motion.
 Time dilation: Moving clocks are measured to tick more slowly than an
observer's "stationary" clock.
 Length contraction: Objects are measured to be shortened in the direction that

they are moving with respect to the observer.
 Maximum speed is finite: No physical object, message or field line can travel
faster than the speed of light in a vacuum.
 The effect of Gravity can only travel through space at the speed of light, not
faster
 Mass–energy equivalence: E = mc2, energy and mass are equivalent
LORENTZ TRANSFORMATIONS OF SPACE AND TIME

The Lorentz Transformations are mathematical equations that allow us to
transform from one coordinate system to another.
Why would we want to do this?
Because special relativity deals with frames of reference. When we want to

analyze properties from one frame to another, it is necessary to first transform
from one coordinate system to another. Thus, we can utilize the Lorentz
Transforms to convert length and time from one frame of reference to another.
For example, if you are flying in an airplane and I am standing still( at rest) on the
ground, you could apply the transformations to transform my frame of reference
into your frame of reference and I could do the same for you in my frame of
reference. The previous statements imply that lengths and times are not the
same for objects that are in motion with respect to each other . Einstein
utilized the transformations because they provide a method of translating the
properties from one frame of reference to another when the speed of light is held
constant in both.
3
1. Lorentz Length Contraction
The Lorentz Transforms allow us to calculate the length contraction. How much
contraction occurs is dependent on how fast an object is traveling with
respect to the observer. Just to put some numbers to this, assume that a 12-inch
football fly past you and it is moving at a rate of 60% the speed of light. You would
measure the football to be 9.6 inches long. So at 60% the speed of light, you
measure the football to be 80% of its original length (original 12-inch
measurement was made at rest with respect to you). Keep in mind that all
measurements are in the direction of the motion - The diameter of the ball is not
changed by the ball's forward motion.
The length of the object moving with velocity ‘v’ , relative to an observer ,
contracts by a factor or LI = L known as Lorentz-

Fetzgerald contraction.
where LI = contraction in length and L = original length
2.Time dilation (The Effect of Motion on Time)

Time also changes with different frames of reference (motion). This is known as
"time dilation". Time actually slows with motion but it only becomes apparent at
speeds close to the speed of light. Similar to length contraction, if the speed reaches
that of light, time slows to a stop. Again, only an observer that is not in motion
with the time that is being measured would notice. Like the tape measure in length
contraction, a clock in motion would also be affected so it would never be able to
detect that time was slowing down (remember the pendulum). Since our everyday
motion does not approach anything remotely close to the speed of light, the
dilation is completely unnoticed by us, but it is there.
4
Time dilation: The proper time interval between occurrences of two events is
smaller than the im-proper time interval by the factor given by ‘γ’,
where ‘γ’ = and γ > 1. This is called time dilation.
The time interval measured from such a frame of reference where two events
occur at the same place is called ‘proper time interval’.
While the time interval measured by the frame of reference where two events
occur at different places is called ‘improper time interval’ and is given by
ΔtI =
where Δt = improper time interval

and ΔtI = proper time interval
Exercises:
1) A person in a train moving at a speed of 3 x 10 7 m/s sleeps at 10 pm by
his watch and got-up at 4 am. How long did he sleep according to
the clock at the station?
Soln:
Time measured by his watch is proper time interval because the
two events of sleeping and getting up are recorded by a single watch.
The clock at the station represents the ground frame of reference and in
this frame he sleeps at one place and gets up at another. Thus the time
interval measured by the clock is improper and is more than proper
time interval.
Hence, the duration of sleep w.r.t ground frame of reference can be
calculated as
5
ΔtI = but Δt = 6 hours
ΔtI = = 6.030 Hrs
2. A spaceship is 100m long under ground frame of reference. While it is flying

its length is 99 m to an observer on the ground. What is the speed in cm?
Soln:
LI = L find ----=? V = 4.23 x 10^9cm/sec

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Theory of Relativity

The motion of the body is described by well-defined coordinated system (x, y, z)

1. Inertial or Non-accelerated frame of reference:

2. Non-inertial or accelerated frame of reference:

Let’s consider the following figure:

Einstein’s Theory or Relativity:

It is divided into two parts:

 Special relativity is based on two postulates:

 Length contraction: Objects are measured to be shortened in the direction that

LORENTZ TRANSFORMATIONS OF SPACE AND TIME

Why would we want to do this?

Because special relativity deals with frames of reference. When we want to

contracts by a factor or LI = L known as Lorentz-

2.Time dilation (The Effect of Motion on Time)

where ‘γ’ = and γ > 1. This is called time dilation.

where Δt = improper time interval

ΔtI = = 6.030 Hrs

2. A spaceship is 100m long under ground frame of reference. While it is flying

LI = L find ----=? V = 4.23 x 10^9cm/sec

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