SPECIAL THEORY

OF RELATIVITY
Giva Navira Salsadila, S.Pd
 Learning Objectives
Having motivation to learn
and develop their
knowledge through learning
that has been carried out.
Students are expected to be
able to analyze together
about the relationship of
length, time, energy related
to the special theory of
relativity with the teacher.
2
Students are expected to Students are expected to
understand special understand the postulate of
relativity through the special relativity through the
explanations that the explanations that the
teacher gives. teacher gives.
Students are expected to be
able to analyze together Students are expected to
about the relationship observe carefully
between relativistic the learning taught by the
momentum and energy teacher.
together with the teacher.
 3

SPECIAL THEORY OF RELATIVITY

 4

Do you know the

famous equation from
Einstein?
 Einstein's postulate

Summation Relativistic Speed

5

Lorentz Transformation

Time Dilation

Length Contraction lorentz

Relativistic Mass

Relativistic Moment

Relativistic Energy

Relationship of Monentum with Energy

 So, what
happens if we
move at the
speed of light?
 Einstein's
postulate 7

Postulate
Postulate I
II

The first postulate is based on

The speed of light in a
the absence of a general
vacuum is the same for all
frame of reference which is
observers, independent of the
absolutely silent, so it cannot
motion of the source or
be determined which is idle
observer
and which is immobile.
 Summation According to Einstein, the
formulation for Newton's motion
Relativistic Speed needs to be improved when the
object's motion approaches the
speed of light.

For example: if the train speed 𝑣1

points 0 and the speed of light
travel in the train 𝑣2 then
observations by observers sitting at
the station are:
𝑣1 + 𝑣2
𝑣= 𝑣1 𝑣2
1+ 2
𝑐
 The transformation is used if the
speed used is relativistic, which is
Lorentz much smaller than the speed of
light (c). Then the equation used:
Transformation
1
𝛾=
𝑢2
1− 2
𝑐
Time dilation is the time interval between
two events that occur at the same place in
Time Dilation
a frame of reference is always shorter
than the time interval between the same
event that is measured in another frame ∆t0
of reference where events occur at ∆𝑡 =
different places. 𝑣2
1− 2
𝑐
 Length measurements are affected
Length Contraction by relative motion. If the object is
lorentz at rest, has a length of 𝐿0 , moves
towards the observer then the
length of the object by the
observer is 𝐿. The value of 𝐿 is
𝑣2 shorter compared to 𝐿0 . This is
𝐿 = 𝐿0 1− 2 called Lorentz Contraction.
𝑐
An object having mass 𝑚0 Relativistic Mass
according to the observer that is
not moving towards the object,
while 𝑚 is the mass of the
object according to the 𝑚0
observer's measurement that 𝑚=
moves relative to the velocity 𝑣 𝑣2
1− 2
of the object. The relationship 𝑐
between m and 𝑚0 can be
formulated:
The speed of light c in the theory of relativity states the speed
of light in a vacuum, which is 3 x 108 m/s. In all media, such Relativistic
as air, water and glass. Light moves at a speed lower than c.
Apparently, atomic particles can move faster in such a medium Momentum
than light. Every object with mass m that moves with velocity
v has a linear momentum of:
𝑝 = 𝑚𝑣 𝑝 = 𝑚𝑣
𝑚0
If the velocity of object v one time approaches the speed of 𝑚=
light, the mass of the object changes. And at that moment the 𝑣2
1− 2
momentum of the object is called the relativistic momentum 𝑐
which is formulated: 𝑚0 𝑣
𝑝=
𝑣2
1− 2
𝑐
 RELATIVISTIC ENERGY 14

𝑣2
In physics energy or effort is defined 𝑑(𝑚𝑣) Example : 𝑢 = 1 − 𝑐 2
𝑑𝐸𝑘 = න 𝑣
in mathematical equation 𝑣2 𝑑𝑢
=
2𝑣 𝑐2
so 𝑑𝑣 = 2𝑣 𝑑𝑢
1− 2 𝑑𝑣 𝑐2
𝑐 −1ൗ2
d𝐸𝑘 = ‫𝑠𝑑 𝐹 ׬‬ 𝑣2
න𝑣 1 − 2 𝑑𝑣
Integral partial : 𝑐
𝑑𝑝
𝐹= −1ൗ2 𝑐2
𝑑𝑡 න𝑣 𝑢 𝑑𝑢
න 𝑥𝑑𝑦 = 𝑥𝑦 − න 𝑦𝑑𝑥 2𝑣
force is the change in the value of the
−1ൗ2 𝑐2
object's motion (momentum) every න 𝑢 − 𝑑𝑢
𝑚0 𝑣 2 𝑚0 𝑣 2
unit of time. 𝐸𝑘 = +න 𝑑𝑣 1ൗ
𝑣2 𝑣2 𝑣2 2 𝑐2
𝑑𝑝 1− 1− 2 1− 2 −
𝑑𝐸𝑘 = න 𝑑𝑠 𝑐2 𝑐2 𝑐 2
𝑑𝑡 −1ൗ2 𝑣2
1ൗ
2
𝑚0 𝑣 2 𝑣 2 𝑐2 1− 2
𝑐
𝑑(𝑚𝑣) 𝐸𝑘 = + 𝑚0 න 𝑣 1 − 𝑑𝑣
𝑑𝐸𝑘 = න 𝑑𝑠 𝑣2 𝑐2 1ൗ
1− 𝑚0 𝑣 2 𝑣2 2
𝑑𝑡 𝑐2 𝐸𝑘 = + 𝑚0 𝑐 2 1− 2
𝑣2 𝑐
1−
𝑐2
 15

Then Then
𝐸𝑘 = 𝑚𝑐 2 − 𝑚0 𝑐 2
𝑚0 𝑣2 𝑣2
𝐸𝑘 = + 𝑚0 𝑐2 1 − 2 − 𝑚0 𝑐 2
𝑐 𝑚𝑐 2 = 𝐸𝑘 + 𝑚0 𝑐 2
𝑣2
1−
𝑐2 𝐸 = 𝑚𝑐 2
2 2 𝑣2
𝑚0 𝑣 + 𝑚0 𝑐 1− 2
𝑐
𝐸𝑘 = − 𝑚0 𝑐 2
𝑣2
1− 2
𝑐
𝑚0 𝑐 2
𝐸𝑘 = − 𝑚0 𝑐 2
𝑣2
1− 2
𝑐
 Relationship of Monentum with Energy 16

In terms of the previous energy formula, if 𝑚0 = 0 and 𝑣 < 𝑐 then 𝐸 = 𝑝 = 0. So, a

massless mass at a speed smaller than the speed of light has no energy and momentum. However, if
𝑚0 = 0 and 𝑣 = 𝑐 , the values of 𝐸 and 𝑝 become uncertain.

Thus 𝐸 and 𝑝 have an arbitrary value. Thus, the formulation of relativistic momentum and
total energy is consistent with the existence of massless particles that have energy and momentum,
provided that the particles move with the speed of light.
 17

• If E equation is squared then it is obtained:

2 4
𝑚0 𝑐
𝐸2 = … … … … … … … equation 1
𝑣2
1− 2
𝑐

• Similarly, the equation p if squared is obtained:

𝑚02 𝑣 2
𝑝2 = … … … … … … … equation 2
𝑣2
1− 2
𝑐

• By multiplying equation 2 with 𝑐 2 we get:

𝑚02 𝑣 2 𝑐 2
𝑝2 𝑐 2 = … … … … … … … (equation 3)
𝑣2
1− 2
𝑐
 18

• If equation 1 minus equation 3 is obtained:

𝑣2
𝑚02 𝑐 4 (1 −
𝑐2
𝐸 2 − 𝑝2 𝑐 2 =
𝑣2
1− 2
𝑐

𝐸 2 − 𝑝2 𝑐 2 = 𝑚02 𝑐 4

• Thus obtained relations:

𝐸 2 = 𝑚02 𝑐 4 + 𝑝2 𝑐 2

𝐸= 𝑚02 𝑐 4 + 𝑝2 𝑐 2 … … … … … (equation4)
 19

• According to equation 4, if there are no mass particles 𝑚0 = 𝑜 then the

relationship between energy and relativistic momentum is
𝐸 = 𝑝𝑐 … … … … (𝑒𝑞𝑢𝑎𝑡𝑖𝑜𝑛 5)
• Examples of massless particles are photons.
 20

QUESTION
1. The first observer and a second observer measured the 21

speed of a particle in a row with v1 and v2. If m1 and m2 are

particle masses according to the first and second observers,
then ...
2. The effort made to increase the speed of a 22

particle of mass m from 0.6c to 0.8c is equal

to….
A. 10/48 𝑚𝑐^2
B. 10/24 𝑚𝑐^2
C. 10/12 𝑚𝑐^2
D. 1/24 𝑚𝑐^2
E. 1/12 𝑚𝑐^2
3. If m is the resting mass of an electron and c is the speed of light, then the amount of work 23

that must be done on an electron to change the speed from 0.6c to 0.8c is….
2
A.
9
3
B.
10
4
C.
11
5
D.
12
6
E.
13
4. According to observers on earth, the length of the spacecraft is only of its original length. 24

The speed of the plane is .... (where c is the speed of light in vacuum)
1
A. c 7
4
2
B. c
3
1
C. c 7
5
1
D. c
2
1
E. c 7
6
5. An object whose length is 20 m is observed by an observer moving with velocity v. 25

If according to the observer moving near the speed of light (c) the length of the
object = 10 m, then the magnitude of v is ... (c = the speed of light)
A. ½ C
B. ½ √3 C
C. ¾ c
D. ¾ √2 c
E. ¾√3 c