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Purpose of these slides An Extraordinary Year

n These slides cover the topics learned in the n In 1905, a Swiss patent clerk
eLesson. Relativity with little access to scientific
n They are provided in case you want to Einstein’s “Special theory of relativity” reference material was
review the topic quickly without loading the working as a clerk at a Swiss
eLesson. patent office.
Waves, Optics & Modern Physics
203-NYC-05 n By the end of that year,
Greg Mulcair Albert Einstein had published
four revolutionary papers.

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An Extraordinary Year Relativity Relativity

n 1905 has come to be known as Annus n The theory of relativity is based on two n Simple as it may sound, these two
Mirabilis (Extraordinary/Miracle Year) simple postulates made by Einstein: postulates have far-reaching implications in
n The four published papers were: ¨ The laws of physics are the same in all inertial all areas of physics.
¨ The photoelectric effect (June 9) frames of reference*
¨ The speed of light in vacuum is the same in all
¨ Brownian motion (July 18)
inertial frames of reference*
¨ The special theory of relativity* (Sept 26)
¨ Mass-energy equivalence, E = mc2 (Nov 21)
*A frame that is not accelerating. Measurements made in
one can be converted to another by a simple transformation.
* “Special Relativity” is what these slides are about. We will briefly visit “General Relativity” at the end of the course.

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Einstein’s first postulate Einstein’s first postulate Einstein’s second postulate

n “The laws of physics are the same in every n For example, you wake up in an elevator
inertial frame of reference.” that is moving up at a constant velocity
n You would have no way of knowing if it is
n So no inertial frame can be thought of as moving at a constant velocity or if it is at
the “correct”, and the laws of physics will rest, since both are inertial frames and the
be the same in any inertial frames. laws of physics would be the same in any
test you tried to perform.
n “The speed of light in vacuum is the same
in all inertial frames of reference and is
independent of the motion of the source.”
n So whether you are moving very fast, or
you are standing still, a ray of light will pass
you with the same speed (relative to you) of
c = 299 792 458 m/s. If you run at (or away)
from the light, it still has the same speed!
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Question Answer Question

n A spacecraft moving past the earth at 1000 m/s fires a missile straight
ahead with a speed of 2000 m/s (relative to the spacecraft)
n What is the speed of the missile relative to someone watching from
the earth? Don’t make this complicated! It is solved simply.
n Newtonian mechanics tells us correctly that the n Now suppose the spacecraft turns on a searchlight, pointing in the
same direction in which the missile was fired. The speed of light
missile moves relative to the earth with a speed: relative to the spacecraft is c, what is the speed of light relative to the
VM/S = VS’/S + VM/S’ = 1000 + 2000 = 3000 m/s observer on earth?

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Wrong answer Correct answer The ultimate speed of light

Newtonian mechanics tells us incorrectly that the light moves at a Light always travels at the same speed c for all inertial observers, so
n
speed greater than c relative to the observer on earth. This would
n
the light moves at a speed c relative to the observer on earth as well.
n “It is impossible for an inertial observer to
contradict Einstein’s second postulate and so is NOT POSSIBLE. This seems contradictory but is true! We need to rethink things now… travel at c, the speed of light in vacuum.”

n The above truth arises directly from the previous

discussion. Were it not true, the spaceship could
travel at speed c (and the earth observer would
see no light coming from it since both spaceship
and light would have the same speed). But this
cannot be since the spaceship must see the light
leaving it’s nose at speed c (second postulate).

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What you thought you knew Relativity of simultaneity

n These results require a fundamental n In general, two events that are
change in what you thought you knew: Relativity of simultaneous in one frame of reference
n The observers in frames S’ and S (the simultaneity are not simultaneous in a second frame
spaceship and the earth in our example) that is moving relative to the first, even if
do not use the same time scale. both are inertial frames.
Waves, Optics & Modern Physics
¨ This will be explored in the next subchapter… 203-NYC-05
Greg Mulcair
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A thought experiment A thought experiment A thought experiment

n Imagine a train moving with a speed comparable to c.
¨ Stanley is stationary on the ground (frame of reference S).
¨ Mavis is moving in the train (frame of reference S’).
¨ Simultaneous flashes strike on either side (on the train and ground).
n Points A and B in frame S, and points A’ and B’ in frame S’.
n The flashes of light travel to each person. n The light from source B’ reaches Mavis sooner than the
¨ Mavis is moving towards source B’, and away from source A’. light from source A’.
¨ Stanley is not moving towards or away from either source. n So she concludes the light source at B’ happened before
the light source at A’.

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A thought experiment A thought experiment

n For Stanley, both sources reach him at the same time. n Stanley and Mavis are both right. Simultaneity is
n So he concludes the light sources were simultaneous. not an absolute concept! Relativity of Time
n But the very way we measure time intervals is
based on simultaneity (one event occurs at one
Intervals
precise time, a later event occurs at another
precise time, the time interval is the difference). Waves, Optics & Modern Physics
n Thus we must conclude that: 203-NYC-05
Greg Mulcair
“The time interval between two events may
be different in different frames of reference”

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Relativity of Relativity of
Relativity of time intervals
time intervals time intervals
n We just showed that events that are n Consider Mavis in her n The time interval that
simultaneous in one frame of reference are reference frame S’ Mavis measures for
not necessarily simultaneous in another moving to the right this is called Δt0 to
frame of reference. at a speed u. remind us that the
n Now let’s see how we can relate the two n Event 1: A flash gets emitted from O’ apparatus is at rest in this reference frame.
frames of reference. n Event 2: The flash returns to O’ having n The flash of light moves a distance 2d so
been reflected from a mirror located a the time interval Mavis measures is simply:
distance d directly above. distance light travelled 2d
Δt0 = =
speed light travelled at c
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Relativity of time intervals Relativity of time intervals Relativity of time intervals

n But now consider what Stanley measures: n In his frame of reference the two events occur at n During the time Δt measured by Stanley, the light
different points in space. source moved a distance uΔt.

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Relativity of time intervals Relativity of time intervals Time dilation

n The round-trip time is still 2l 2 2 " uΔt %
2
n So for Mavis we found: Δt0 = 2d n Squaring the previous equation and solving for
Δt = = d +$ ' c
just distance over speed c: c c # 2 & Δt we obtain the equation for time dilation:
2
2 2 " uΔt %
n And for Stanley we found: Δt = d +$ ' Δt0
c # 2 &
Δt = = γ Δt0
cΔt0 1− u 2 / c 2
n If we re-write Mavis’s equation as and
d=
2
substitute it into Stanley’s we get a relationship
between Δt and Δt0 that is independent of d: n Where γ = gamma =
1
1− u 2 / c 2
2 2
2 " cΔt0 % " uΔt %
Δt = $ ' +$ '
c # 2 & # 2 &

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Δt0 Δt0 Δt0

Time dilation Δt =
2
1− u / c 2
= γ Δt0 Time dilation Δt =
2
1− u / c 2
= γ Δt0 “Proper time” Δt =
1− u 2 / c 2
= γ Δt0

n The denominator will always be smaller n Picture a grandfather clock with n There is only one reference frame in
than 1, therefore Δt will always be larger one second between ticks. which the clock is at rest (Δt0), but
than Δt0. n If the clock is moving relative to infinitely many relative frames (Δt)
¨ Stanley will measure a longer round-trip time Stanley, he will measure a time n The time interval between two events
for the light (Δt) than Mavis does (Δt0). Δt between ticks that is longer that occur at the same point is thus
n We call this effect time dilation than one second. In short: called the proper time.
¨ Since dilation means it gets bigger. “Observers measure any
clock to run slow if it
moves relative to them”
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Summary Question Answer

Students find this a bit confusing so try to fully
n How fast must a rocket travel relative to the n The earth observer measures events in the ship to
absorb and understand this sentence:
earth so that time in the rocket “slows down” slow to half their speed (so measures events in
n If you see something zip by you, the time the ship to take twice as long) thus giving: Δt = 2Δt0
to half the rate measured by earth-based
you measure for events in that frame is n From Δt = γ Δt0 we get γ = 2
observers?
Δt = γ Δt0 but the time someone in that n Giving us:
n Do present-day jet planes approach such
frame measures for events inside it’s own γ =2=
1

frame is the proper time Δt0 . speeds? 1− u 2 / c 2

0.25 = 1− u 2 / c 2
¨ So t0 = time you measure for events in your own 0.75 = u 2 / c 2
frame 0.866 = u / c
This is much faster than a jet (a
747 takes off at about 300 km/hr
¨ And t = time you measure for events in another frame u = 0.866c = 2.56E8 m / s = 9.22E8 km / hr
and cruises at about 900 km/hr)

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See eLesson solutions for these two problems:

Question Answer

n A spaceship flies past Mars with a speed of n (a) The two time measurements are made at the
Question
0.985c relative to the surface of the planet. same place on Mars by an observer at rest there, n The positive muon (μ+), an unstable …
When the spaceship is directly overhead, a so the observer on Mars measures the proper
signal light on the Martian surface blinks on time.
and then off. An observer on Mars measures n (b) γ =
1
=
1
=
1
= 5.795
that the signal light was on for 75.0 μs. 2 2
1− u / c 2 2
( 2
1− (0.985c) / c ) 1− 0.985

n (a) Does the observer on Mars or the pilot on Question

the spaceship measure the proper time? Δt = γ Δt0 = (5.795)(75E − 6) = 436E − 6 s
n As you pilot your space utility vehicle…
n (b) What is the duration of the light pulse
measured by the pilot of the spaceship? 75e-6/(sqrt(1-.985^2)