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Documents - MX - Physics 73 Notes PDF
Documents - MX - Physics 73 Notes PDF
Documents - MX - Physics 73 Notes PDF
An object
in motion, stays in motion.
Physics 73
1.3 Special Relativity
2nd Long Exam Reviewer
1.3.1 First Postulate
Preface
1.3.2 Second Postulate
This handout is intended as a reviewer only and
should not be substituted for a complete lecture, The speed of light in a vacuum is constant in
or used as a reference material. The goal of this all inertial frame of reference and is independent
reviewer is to refresh the student on the concepts of the motion of the source.
and techniques in one reading. But this is more
than enough to replace your notes :) Examples. Fixed quantities
1
University of the Philippines Chemical Engineering Society, Inc. (UP KEM)
Physics 73 - 2nd Long Exam
t = tb ta
To elegantly simplify particular algebraic expres-
sions appearing in the laws of physics (particularly With the 0 denoting an observation made in an-
relativity here), we deal with natural units. other frame of reference. Spacetime interval is in-
variant, i.e. observations in two different IRFs
Same unit for space and time has the same spacetime interval.
s2 = c2 t2 x2 d2 = x2 + y 2
7
Example. Convert 6.21 10 m/s to natural units
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University of the Philippines Chemical Engineering Society, Inc. (UP KEM)
Physics 73 - 2nd Long Exam
t
3
firecracker 2
worldline
1
x firecracker 1
x
Figure 2.1: An example of a spacetime diagram
x0
Page 3 of 9
University of the Philippines Chemical Engineering Society, Inc. (UP KEM)
Physics 73 - 2nd Long Exam
Example. Previous firecrackers on a rocket frame the lab frame, RL . Note that RL = LR
whose speed with respect to laboratory this time
is RL = + 53
2.3 Relativity of Simultaneity
0
t
3 Definition (Simultaneous events). Simultaneous
events are events having the same t-coordinate.
2
Events that are simultaneous in one IRF
53 may not be simultaneous in another IRF.
1 A special case is a set simultaneous events
having the same position. These will always
x0 be simultaneous.
t0 B
5
A
4 x0
x
(b) Rocket frame, RL < 0
Figure 2.6: Worldline of the proton
t0
A
Remark. You may have noticed that in the pro- x0
ton example, the slope is equal to 1 while in the
two previous rocket examples, the slope is 1 .
Dont be confused. B
(c) Rocket frame, RL > 0
The reason the slope is positive inverse for the
proton is that we were asked to plot in the lab Figure 2.7: Events A and B are simultaneous in the Lab
frame. In the two previous rockets, we plotted in frame but not in the Rocket frame.
the rocket frame given its own relative speed to
Page 4 of 9
University of the Philippines Chemical Engineering Society, Inc. (UP KEM)
Physics 73 - 2nd Long Exam
Remark. Suppose youre in a Lab frame and your Lightlike - on the surface of the cone (can
friend is in a rocket frame similar to figure 2.7c. affect using light)
Considering what he saw in the past (event C),
you just saw in the present, what defines past,
present, and future? The next subsection clarifies 2.5 Lorentz Transformation
the concept of causality.
Weve studied so far the geometric nature of space-
time and the spacetime interval. Now we proceed
2.4 Light Cones with the algebraic treatment.
A light cone is the path that a flash of light, em- Given (t0 , x0 , y 0 , z 0 ) on a rocket frame, (t, x, y, z)
anating from a single event (localised to a sin- on the lab frame is:
gle point in space and a single moment in time)
t = t0 + RL x0 (2)
and traveling in all directions, would take through
spacetime. x = x0 + RL t0 (3)
t y = y0 (4)
future z = z0 (5)
where
For velocities,
past
vx0 +
vx = (8)
1 + vx0
vy0
Figure 2.8: A light cone vy = (9)
1 + vx0
vz0
Light cones plays an essential role in defining the vz = (10)
1 + vx0
concept of causality, summarised below:
Again, use natural units for the equations
Event A can affect other events inside the above.
future light cone.
The origin of both frames are coincident.
Event A can be affected by other events in-
For the inverse Lorentz transformation, re-
side the past light cone
place the primed variables with unprimed
Timelike - inside the cones (can affect using and vice versa, and note RL = LR
a particle)
At non-relativistic speeds, the transforma-
Spacelike - outside the cones (not causally tion reduces to a Galilean transformation.
related)
Page 5 of 9
University of the Philippines Chemical Engineering Society, Inc. (UP KEM)
Physics 73 - 2nd Long Exam
= (13)
Page 6 of 9
University of the Philippines Chemical Engineering Society, Inc. (UP KEM)
Physics 73 - 2nd Long Exam
e
lin
not contracted.
ht
ig
l
Definition (Proper length). It is the distance be-
45
tween the two spacelike events, as measured in an x0
inertial frame of reference in which the events are
simultaneous. It is given by:
x
p
= x2 t2 (14)
(a) RL > 0
p
L = 1 2 (15)
0 t
t
= (16)
e
lin
ht
ig
Where L : contracted length.
l
45
Example. A 1 m sword is moving at = 0.866.
What is the contracted length as observed by a
stationary alien. x
p
L = 1 2
p
= (1) 1 0.8662 x0
0.5 m (b) RL < 0
tanh RL = RL
Page 7 of 9
University of the Philippines Chemical Engineering Society, Inc. (UP KEM)
Physics 73 - 2nd Long Exam
Which is similar to the relation (from Math 17): Note that fapproach > f0 , referred to as blue
shift.
tanh(x) + tanh(y)
tanh(x + y) =
1 + tanh(x) tanh(y) Also note that frecede < f0 , referred to as
So we conclude that: red shift.
Remark. If you are interested, this is hyperbolic The generalisation of momentum is:
stuff. Lol.
p = m (25)
m is rest mass.
3.1.2 Source moving away from the ob-
server Applicable only to objects with nonzero
mass.
s
1
frecede = f0 (22) Lorentz factor should use the velocity of
1+
the object.
Page 8 of 9
University of the Philippines Chemical Engineering Society, Inc. (UP KEM)
Physics 73 - 2nd Long Exam
E = K + mc2
= mc2 (27)
in natural units,
E 2 = m2 + p2 (29)
m2 = E 2 p2
E 2 p2 = (E 0 )2 (p0 )2 (30)
References
[1] Tatsu Takechi. Synchronization of clocks. on-
line.
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