Special Relativity

Anna Marie Benzon

Special Relativity (SR)

- laws of physics in a flat space-time dimension.

Inertial frame- is a frame of reference that is moving at constant velocity.

Postulates of SR
Postulate 1: The principle of relativity.
The laws of physics are the same in all inertial reference
frames
Postulate 2: The speed of light is invariant.
All observers in inertial frames will measure the same
speed of light, regardless of their state of motion
Postulate 3: Uniform motion is invariant.
A particle at rest or with constant velocity in one inertial
frame will be at rest or have constant velocity in all
inertial frames

Newtonian Physics

Incorrect when applied to the speed of

light

An event is an occurrence that has a definite position and time.

In general, two events that are simultaneous in one frame of reference are NOT
simultaneous in a second frame that is moving relative to the first, even if both are inertial
frames

t0

the time interval between

two events that occur at the
same time is called proper
time

Example 1

Not only does the time interval between two events depend on the observers
frame of reference, but the distance between two points may also depend on
the observers frame of reference.

Length contraction

There is no length contraction perpendicular to the direction of relative

motion of the coordinate systems.

Proper length

 Space and time have become intertwined; we can no longer say that length and time
have absolute meanings independent of the frame of reference
Space and time are on equal footing; hence, the spacetime coordinates of an event

In general,

where L is a

4 4 matrix, represented as

is called as the rapidity.

The figure above is a Minkowski diagram or spacetime diagram, that is used in

illustrating the motion of a particle in a spacetime dimension.

(relativistic
generalisation of NSL)

Relativistic mass is,

Unless the net force on a relativistic particle is either along the same line as the particles
velocity or perpendicular to it, the net force and acceleration vectors are not parallel

a.)

b.)

Binomial expansion has the form,

If m = 0,

Example is the photon, the quantum of em radiation, which travels at the speed
of light in vacuum

Reference
1. Young et. al., University Physics, Relativity, Chapter 37, 12th edition, Pearson
Education, Inc. 2008
2. David McMahon, Relativity Demystified, A quick review of special relativity,
Chapter 1, The McGraw-Hill Companies, Inc. 2006