Modern
Physics

Spring 2018
course
site

Mon Jan 29

Problems from chapter 1 are due today. Discussion?

Assignments for the next several weeks, on special relativity, have been posted. Please plan your time accordingly, and turn in your work on time.

I've also put more links to special relativity resources.

Test your understanding

Show that two Lorentz boosts in the x direction with velocities u_1 and u_2 are equivalent to one lorentz boost with a velocity u_3. What is u_3 ?

Choose appropriate spacetime points and use the Lorentz transform to derive expressions for time dilation and length contraction , giving \( (\Delta t , \Delta x) \) in terms of the relative velocity u of two observers each in their own reference frame. Explain what's going on.

https://cs.marlboro.college /cours /spring2018 /modern_physics /notes /jan29
last modified Wed May 15 2024 2:24 pm