Scribd
Upload
25 views1 page

EMT Tutorials 2025 Set2

The document presents a problem set for a course on Electromagnetic Theory and Electrodynamics, focusing on Lorentz transformations and relativistic speeds. It includes three problems: calculating elements of a Lorentz transformation matrix from successive boosts, deriving a Lorentz transformation for parallel coordinate systems, and determining the speed of multiple blocks sliding on each other. The problems require understanding of Lorentz transformations, Euclidean rotations, and relativistic velocity addition.

Uploaded by

22026762011
Copyright
© © All Rights Reserved
We take content rights seriously. If you suspect this is your content, claim it here.
Available Formats
Download as PDF, TXT or read online on Scribd
25 views1 page

EMT Tutorials 2025 Set2

The document presents a problem set for a course on Electromagnetic Theory and Electrodynamics, focusing on Lorentz transformations and relativistic speeds. It includes three problems: calculating elements of a Lorentz transformation matrix from successive boosts, deriving a Lorentz transformation for parallel coordinate systems, and determining the speed of multiple blocks sliding on each other. The problems require understanding of Lorentz transformations, Euclidean rotations, and relativistic velocity addition.

Uploaded by

22026762011
Copyright
© © All Rights Reserved
We take content rights seriously. If you suspect this is your content, claim it here.
Available Formats
Download as PDF, TXT or read online on Scribd
You are on page 1/ 1

Electromagnetic Theory & Electrodynamics – Tutorials 2025

Problem Set 2

1. Consider successive Lorentz boosts being applied orthogonal to one another with speeds c/4 and c/2.
Determine the values of the 0-0 and 0-i elements (where i = 1, 2, 3) of the resulting Lorentz transformation
matrix Λµν , assuming that the boosted reference frames are not rotated relative to each other and have their
origins coincident initially. Find which of those (0-0 and 0-i) elements of Λµν would change if the boosts are
applied in the reverse order. Is it always happen that the resulting Lorentz transformation matrix gets changed
if the order of the successive boosts are reversed? If yes, prove explicitly. If not, illustrate with an example.

2. Two coordinate systems S(t, x, y, z) and S 0 (t0 , x0 , y 0 , z 0 ) have their axes parallely oriented and origins coin-
cident at t = t0 = 0. Let S 0 be moving relative to S in the parallel x (x0 ) direction with a fixed speed c tanh α,
where α is some constant parameter. Determine the corresponding Lorentz transformation matrix, and show
that it would describe a four-dimensional Euclidean rotation under a further coordinate transformation. What
is the rotation angle and what (further) transformation needs to be used?

3. Consider a long table on which a rigid rectangular block slides with a speed 3c/4 in a certain direction. A
smaller rectangular block slides in the same direction, on the first block with the same speed 3c/4 relative to it.
A third rectangular block, of even smaller size, slides on the second block in the same direction with relative
speed 3c/4, and so up to n such blocks. Find the speed of the n-th block relative to the table. What is the
value of this speed in the limit n → ∞ ? Neglect the effect of friction on all the blocks that are sliding.

You might also like