Senior High School Department
General Physics 2 REVIEWER
Special Theory of Relativity
In 1905, Albert Einstein developed his Theory of Special Relativity.
• Special relativity refers to motion through a space at constant
velocity
• The conclusion of special relativity is true for objects moving
at speeds near the speed of light.
• How we move through a space changes on how we move through
time.
Einstein’s Postulates:
1st - All laws of physics are the same in all inertial frames of reference.
Inertial – not accelerating.
2nd - The speed of light (c) in empty space will always have the same value
regardless of the motion of the source or observer.
Speed of light = 3.0 x 108 m/s or 1.0 c
TWIN TRIP TO SPACE
Twins, A and B, are in deep space on similar rockets travelling in
opposite directions with a relative speed of 0.40c. After a while, twin
A turns around and travels back toward twin B again, so that their
relative speed is 0.40c. When they meet again, which twin is younger?
• The traveling twin experiences two frames of reference: One on
the way out and one on the way back.
• The Earth twin experienced a single, different reference frame
• They meet again at the same point in space, but never the same
point in time. Therefore, the twin who’s traveling back is
younger.
TIME DILATION (concepts)
One of the most remarkable consequences of theory of relativity is that
time measurement is not independent of the reference frame. Instead
Time that elapses between two events in a moving reference frame where
events occur at different locations is dilated (longer time), when compared
to the time interval in the rest frame (where the events occur or proper
time).
In time dilation, we know that time for a person on Earth is longer than
time for a person in a high-speed spacecraft.
Paul wants to verify time dilation – he has two very accurate
synchronized atomic clocks C1 and C2, his friend Harry has access
to military jets and flies 1 of his clocks (C1) around the world at
high speed a couple of times. What statement is correct about the
times on C1 and C2 at the end of this experiment?
Ans: The time on C2 is ahead of the time on C1.
NOTE!!!
Time for STATIONARY OBSERVER is longer (dilated) than the time for an
OBSERVER IN A HIGHSPEED SPACECRAFT (proper time).
If you were traveling away from the Earth at 0.50c, would you notice a
change in your heartbeat? Would your mass, height, or waistline
change? What would observers on Earth using a telescope to see you
say about you?
Ans: You remain synchronized in your own reference frame.
LENGTH CONTRUCTION (Concepts)
In a nutshell, space is contracted, making the objects look shorter when
they move by us at relativistic speeds.
Length Contraction: The shortening of length of an object as it approaches
the speed of light.
• As speed increases, length in the direction of motion decreases.
Lengths in the perpendicular direction do not change.
• The length along the direction of motion is contracted by a factor
1
of .
2
PRACTICE!!!
Observers A and B are sitting on a railway flatcar that is moving to
the right with velocity 𝑣⃑ relative to the ground and to observer C.
In the frame of reference for observer D, who is moving to the
right with a velocity of 2𝑣⃑, the flatcar is moving toward the left
with a velocity of 𝑣⃑.
Questions:
• Who would say that the light took longer to reach observer A?
_______.
• Who would say that the light took longer to reach observer B?
_______.
• Who would say that Observers A and B received the flash at exactly
the same time? _________.
RELATIVISTIC DOPPLER SHIFT
Doppler – is the change of frequency of the waves.
• We can say the doppler happening when the object or source moves.
• When the source moves towards the stationary observer
the waves are observed in a high frequency.
• When the source moves away from the stationary observer
the waves are observed in a lower frequency.
RED AND BLUE SHIFT
• Increasing frequency is called a blue shift, because the increase
is towards the high-frequency, or blue, end of the spectrum.
• Decreasing frequency is called a red shift, referring to the low
frequency, or red, end of the color spectrum. Distant galaxies
show a red shift in their light.
If the light moves toward the eye A, what will happen to the
emitted frequency relative to the eye A and eye B?
A B
 Ans: The frequency relative to the eye A is greater than TIME DILATION DERIVATION
the frequency relative to the eye B.

• you want to decrease the frequency, the light should If move AWAY
relative to you.
• If you want to increase the frequency, the light should move
TOWARDS you.

RELATIVISTIC DOPPLER SHIFT EQUATIONS:

• Equation of the frequency of the emitted light coming from a

source that is moving away from you.
𝑐−𝑣
𝑓 = 𝑓𝑜 √
𝑐+𝑣
• Equation of the frequency of the emitted light coming from a source
that is moving towards you.
𝑐+𝑣
𝑓 = 𝑓𝑜 √𝑐−𝑣

TIME DILATION (problem solving)

Equation: t - dilated time (longer time)
t0 - proper time
v - speed of the moving object
c – speed of light

PRACTICE!!!

Mavis boards a spaceship at a speed of 0.8c and then zips past

Stanley on Earth. At the instant she passes him, they both start
timers. A short time later Stanley measures that Mavis has
travelled 8.0x106 m beyond him and is passing a space station.

QUESTIONS: (show your solutions)

• What does Stanley’s timer read as she passes the space station?
________.

• What does Mavis’s timer read? _______.

LENGTH CONTRACTION (problem solving)

Equation:
L – contracted length (shorter length)
L0 – proper length
v - speed of the moving object
c – speed of light

PRACTICE!!! (SHOW YOUR SOLUTION)

A spaceship flies past Earth at a speed of 0.88c. A crew member on

board the spaceship measures its length, obtaining the value 400m.
What length do observers on Earth measure? ____________.

A spaceship, 200m long as seen on board, moves by the Earth

at 0.66c.
QUESTIONS:

• What is its length as measured by an Earth-bound observer?

______________.

• How fast must the spaceship have to be going in order for it to

appear only 55m long? ______________.