2260 Unit 1

Front 1

principle of relativity

Back 1

consider a particle in inertial frame A following a path. in another frame of reference B, it's moving with constant velocity along a new path

Front 2

einsteins postulates

Back 2

1. the laws of physics are identical in different inertial frames

2. the speed of light is constant for observers in inertial frames

Front 3

time dilation

Back 3

observes a slower time

Front 4

time dilation derivation

Back 4

Front 5

lorentz factor

Back 5

only becomes significant at super high velocities

Front 6

length contraction

Back 6

Front 7

difference in time in train thought experiment

Back 7

Front 8

an event

Back 8

something that happens at a particular moment and at a particular place

Front 9

spacetime diagrams

Back 9

Front 10

moving frame f' diagram

Back 10

tilted axes

Front 11

invariant interval

Back 11

represents separation between two events in space time. has a - because interval can be imaginary. interval is the same for all observers, is independent of reference frame

Front 12

lorentz transformations

Back 12

how time and space change when changing reference frames

Front 13

matrix representation of lorentz transforms

Back 13

emphasise symmetry

Front 14

velocity addition rule

Back 14

Front 15

twin paradox

Back 15

Front 16

bell's paradox

Back 16

Front 17

mass energy equivalence

Back 17

bitch u already know

Front 18

rest mass and energy

Back 18

normal newtonian mass that would be measured if in a stationary frame. invariant

Front 19

relativistic mass

Back 19

Front 20

relativistic momentum

Back 20

Front 21

total energy

Back 21

Front 22

kinetic energy

Back 22

Front 23

atmospheric muon problem

Back 23

muons move close to speed of light, so when they travel to earth it should take like 30*10^-6s. but their half lives are 1.6*10^-6s so you would think not many make it, but loads do. solved by

1. lorentz factor ~ 5, extending half lives through time dilation to 8*10^-6s.

2. muons view earth as coming towards them, distance through length contraction is about 2km, arrives in 6*10^-6s

Front 24

relativistic doppler effect

Back 24

takes time dilation of source into account

Front 25

special relativity and magnetism

Back 25

Front 26

proper time and distance

Back 26

lengths and times measured in frames in which they are stationary. applied to an accelerated observer, is the time measured by a clock accelerating with them

Front 27

proper time diagram

Back 27

Front 28

4 velocity

Back 28

magnitude always = c

Front 29

4 momentum

Back 29

Front 30

acceleration in special relativity

Back 30

Front 31

principle of equivalence

Back 31

observers in freefall cannot determine their acceleration by any local measurement. similarly, observers at rest on a planet would find the same physics as an observer accelerating through space far from gravitational sources

Front 32

general relativity implication

Back 32

light bends in a gravitational field, therefore time runs slower in gravitational fields

Front 33

geometry of spacetime

Back 33

gravity super affects the curvature of space. free falling objects are following straight lines in curved spacetime.

Front 34

definition of black hole

Back 34

an object where its gravitational field is sufficient enough to keep even light from escaping

Front 35

gravitational redshift

Back 35

time slowing effect from light bending causes this

Front 36

schwarzschild radius

Back 36

light is infinitely redshifted is emitted here, so time stops at this point for an observer.