General relativity is the geometric theory of gravitation published by albert einstein in 1916 and the current description of gravitation in modern physics. Later, einstein was able to further develop this theory, leading to what is known as the general theory of relativity. The laws of physics are the same in all inertial frames of reference. To understand how the principle of relativity leads to time dilation and length contraction. A lecture on the geometrical proofs used in the principia. If you have any comments or questions on these lecture notes, please email them to takeuchiatvtdotedu. Special relativity undergraduate lecture notes in physics.
Special relativity special relativity is limited to objects that are moving with respect to inertial frames of referencei. Given here are notes on a few topics in special relativity. Special relativity is mathematically selfconsistent, and it is an organic part of all modern physical theories, most notably quantum field theory, string theory, and general relativity in the limiting case of negligible gravitational fields. Knuteson wishes to acknowledge that this course was originally designed and taught by prof.
Lecture notes 24 handouts 24 module name download description download size. This set of lecture notes is based principally upon material drawn from these sources. Relativity both the special and general theories, quantum mechanics, and thermodynamics are the three major theories on which modern physics is based. We shall see that many surprising consequences follow from this innocuous looking statement. Lecture notes relativity special theory part of classical. Special relativity lecture notes department of physics. The cornerstone of the theory of special relativity is the principle of relativity. This course introduces the basic ideas and equations of einsteins special theory of relativity. Maxwells theory, as well as the galilean and lorentz transformations are also discussed. This 4dimensional space is referred to as the spacetime continuum. The notes supplement material in chapter 1 relativity of the course text modern physics by raymond a. Particle physics aims to study structure of space, time and matter at its most fundamental level. This course, which concentrates on special relativity, is normally taken by physics majors in their sophomore year. Amongst other things, this latter theory is essentially a theory of gravitation.
Ive also polished and improved many of the explanations, and made the organization more. Notes on special relativity vt physics virginia tech. We discussed on time dilation, length contraction, twin paradox and two postulates of special. French, introduction to special relativity, by robert resnick, or lecture notes i and ii of the 2009 lecture notes. Lessons lecture notes important equations example problems applets and animations student learning objectives. This is the first of a series of lectures on relativity. Consider two observers in two reference frames, s and s. Find materials for this course in the pages linked along the left. An introduction to general relativity, available for purchase online or at finer bookstores everywhere.
In 1905, while only twentysix years old, albert einstein published on the electrodynamics of moving bodies and effectively extended classical laws of relativity to all laws of physics, even electrodynamics. Einstein correctly defined common sense as those prejudices that we acquire at an early age. History of the development of relativity theory 300 kb contents. Freely browse and use ocw materials at your own pace. The theory of relativity usually encompasses two interrelated theories by albert einstein. General relativity generalises special relativity and newtons law of universal gravitation, providing a unified description of gravity as a geometric property of space and time, or spacetime. Although it will help you to have a basic understanding of algebra, much of the analysis is qualitative or only semiquantitative. This collection of lecture notes is intended as a guide to the material in phy312. In classical mechanics, the absolute velocity is the sum of the velocity of the moving reference frame and the. The notes were prepared for students in the introductory undergraduate course physics 200 relativity and quanta given by malcolm mcmillan at ubc during the 1998 and 1999 winter sessions. This site is based on a series of lectures i give as part of the course physics 2074 highlights on. An introduction to the special theory of relativity. The correspondence principle says that a more general theory must agree with a more restricted theory where their realms of validity overlap. In physics, special relativity also known as the special theory of relativity is the generally accepted and experimentally confirmed physical theory regarding the relationship between space and time.
Sep 03, 2017 04 special theory of relativity length contraction with numericals. David tong cambridge leture notes on dynamics and relativity. Undergraduate lecture notes in physics ulnp publishes authoritative texts. Special relativity and electrodynamics spring, 2012 the. General relativity fall, 2012 the theoretical minimum. Notes on special relativity physics 252, michael fowler, university of virginia.
Special relativity applies to all physical phenomena in the absence of gravity. Theory of relativityspecial relativity wikiversity. We deal with the structure of spacetime, learn to handle the covariant representation, and we will study relativistic mechanics and simple classical field theories, focussing especially on electrodynamics. Jan 19, 2016 these are lectures on general theory of relativity that were given to students of the mathematical faculty of the higher school of economics in moscow. This is an introductory course on newtonian mechanics and special relativity given to first year undergraduates. I know of no other course anywhere that provides this thorough a treatment of both. This set of lecture notes is based principally upon material. Slideshare uses cookies to improve functionality and performance, and to provide you with relevant advertising. Lecture notes on special relativity download ebook pdf. Principle of relativity, lorentz transform, simultaneous events, causally connected events, addition of velocities, 4vectors.
The general theory will not be dealt with in this course. In this course, we will take a close look at the special theory of relativity and also at classical field theory. Introduction to special relativity mit opencourseware. Fall semester, 2011 revised version oberlin college physics 110 notes for mechanics and relativity there is, in nature, perhaps nothing older than motion, concerning. This is a half a semester 20 lecture course on special theory of relativity, which revolutionized our concept of physics in the last century by unifying concept of space and time, electricity and magnetism and mass and energy. Special relativity is an extension of classical mechanics galilean relativity that deals with the consequences of the speed of light being the same for all observers. Newtons papers recently digitised by cambridge university. Special relativity einstein 1905 based on two postulates. Foundations, theory, verification, applications undergraduate lecture notes in physics on free shipping on qualified orders. If you have hoped to understand the physics of lorentz contraction, time dilation, the twin paradox, and emc 2, youre in the right place. It applies to the cosmological and astrophysical realm, including astronomy. In 1915 einstein published an additional theory, called the general theory of relativity.
This site is based on a series of lectures i give as part of the course physics 2074 highlights on contemporary physics every fall semester. First discussion of minkowski diagrams, world lines. This principle, called galilean relativity, is kept in einsteins theory of relativity. Physical and conceptual foundations of the theory of special relativity. Total momentum in a system of interacting particles is conserved has its origin in newtons third law and it is a principle that holds both. The point will be both to recall what sr is all about, and to introduce tensors and related. Mp352 should make you comfortable with 4vectors and index notation. Pdf lecture notes theory of relativity summer term 20. He even places one of his early landmarks in a thought experiment he had at the age of 16, in 1896, nine years. Lecture notes relativity physics mit opencourseware.
Phys 200 lecture 12 introduction to relativity open. French, introduction to special relativity, by robert resnick, or lecture notes i and ii of the 2009 lecture notes for this course. The lecture begins with a historical overview and goes into problems that aim to describe a single event as seen by two independent observers. Lecture notes 1 the doppler effect and special relativity. Individual chapters and problem sheets are available below. Special relativity lecture notes table of contents. Welcome to the special relativity homepage at the department of physics, college of science, virginia tech. Welcome to our new lecture and the accompanying tutorial on the theory of special relativity and classical field theory. General relativity addresses the problem of accelerated motion and gravity. In 1905, while only twentysix years old, albert einstein. This is why the effects of special relativity are not obvious in everyday life.
Lecture notes on special relativity macquarie university. Pdf these are the lecture notes of an introductory course on special and general relativity given in 20. It is the purpose of this book to provide an introduction to the special theory of relativity which is accessible to any stu dent who has had an introduction to general physics and some slight acquaintance with the calculus. December 1997 lecture notes on general relativity sean m. Laws of physics must be the same in all inertial reference frames. It necessarily means that we study physics at the shortest distance scales as possible. Any textbook on modern physics contains at least one chapter on the theory of special relativity, but textbooks dealing exclusively with this subject from a modern point of view are rare.
Many of the consequences of the special theory of relativity are counterintuitive and violate common sense. Relativity 2 einsteins postulates university of florida. Theory of special relativity basics explained in hindi. This course is open to anyone willing to put in some time and effort to understand einstein and his special theory of relativity. Summary of the predictions of the theory of special relativity time dilation length contraction along the direction of motion space and time are relative relativity of simultaneity velocities are relative, except for that of light, and add up in such a way that they never exceed the velocity of light. The full set of lecture notes come in around 160 pages and can be downloaded here. Here we have one of them this excellent textbook certainly represent a valuable tool in understanding special relativity and teaching it in modern. Special relativity lecture notes special relativity practice problems. The special theory we shall deliberately ignore the chronological development of the theory 1, and start directly from the answer. The main purpose of these notes is to introduce 4vectors and the matrix notation and to demonstrate their use in solving standard problems in special relativity. You are both lucky and unlucky to be taking this course. The special theory of relativity macquarie university. Einsteins theory of special relativity created a fundamental link between space and time. We consider two inertial frames s and s, which have a relative velocity v between them along the xaxis.
Much of the material is at a level suitable for high school students who have had advanced placement in physics and. It was pondering these developments that led einstein to discover the special theory of relativity in 1905. L3postulates of special theory of relativity and galilean transformation. Documents and settingsphilip harrismy documentsteaching. Concepturalstructureandunderlying physical ideas explored thoroughly and clearly, but perhaps not for the beginner. To understand the two postulates of special relativity. April 9, 2012 in the first lecture of the series leonard susskind discusses the concepts that will be covered throughout the course.
The formulations of the theories of special and general relativity and of the theory. Foundations, theory, verification, applications undergraduate lecture notes in physics costas christodoulides 4. Relativity both the special and general theories, quantum mechanics, and thermodynamics are. To solve novel problems using the equations for time dilation and length contraction. Tutorials might sometimes take place through microsoft teams, and. In albert einsteins original pedagogical treatment, it is based on two postulates. The theory was the outcome of, in einsteins own reckoning, seven and more years of work.
If you would like to learn more about special relativity, however, you could look at special relativity, by anthony p. February 14, 2008 the views of space and time which i wish to lay before you have. Relativity both the special and general theories, quantum mechanics, and thermody. University course with lecture notes covering newtonian mechanics and special relativity. The wikipedia page on special relativity is quite detailed. In the rst part we discuss special relativity, focusing on the reexamination of the structure of time and space.
This set of lecture notes on general relativity has been expanded into a textbook, spacetime and geometry. Phy2061 enriched physics 2 lecture notes relativity 2 the lorentz transformation we are now ready to derive the correct transformation equations between two inertial frames in special relativity, which modify the galilean transformation. Click download or read online button to get lecture notes on special relativity book now. General relativity explains the law of gravitation and its relation to other forces of nature. Simultaneity is not wellde ned in special relativity, and so newtons laws of gravity become illde ned.
Lecture notes on special relativity department of physics. The universe can be viewed as having three space dimensions updown, leftright, forwardbackward and one time dimension. The theory of relativity is traditionally broken into two parts, special and general relativity. Special relativity practice problems a textbook based on this website is now available from cambridge university press. The first recorded discussion of the speed of light i think is in aristotle, where he. This is covered in many of the textbooks or notes linked above. These lecture notes on general relativity intend to give an introduction to all aspects of einsteins theory. This chapter is concerned with the special theory of relativity, which dates from 1905. The point is that this course is essentially unique. This site is like a library, use search box in the widget to get ebook that you want. A selection of problems and documentation of the experimental tests of special relativity are given. What is unique about these three theories, as distinct from say the theory of electromagnetism, is their generality. Special relativity world scientific lecture notes in physics. Carroll 1 special relativity and flat spacetime we will begin with a whirlwind tour of special relativity sr and life in.
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