PH429: Reference Frames

Paradigms in Physics, Paradigm 9

Syllabus for Spring 2008

Day 1 - Reference Frames (Mon 5/12 - read Taylor p327-330)

  • Inertial Frame
  • Galilean Transformations (see Taylor p596-598)
  • Reference frame with linear acceleration (e.g. sitting inside an airplane during take off)

HW #1 due on Friday Solutions: please see black folder in paradigms study room.

Day 2 - 2d Rotations (Tue 5/13 - read Taylor p336-344)

  • Rotating Coordinate Systems
  • Centrifugal & Coriolis Forces
  • Group Work: Turntable Hockey

Day 3 - 3d Rotations (Wed 5/14 - read Taylor 344-351)

Day 4 - Motion Relative to Earth (Thu 5/15 - read Taylor 351-359)

  • Group Work: Earth Hockey
  • Conservation of angular momentum
  • Weather systems
  • Foucault Pendulum - coupled differential equations

Day 5 - No Class (Fri 5/16)

HW #1 due today

Day 6 - Special Relativity (Mon 5/19 - read Taylor Spec. Rel. Chpt.)

  • Einstein's Postulates (imagine running beside an electromagnetic wave)
  • Time Dilation derived by trigonometry
  • The May fly example (a 12 hour biological clock goes for a ride)

HW #2 due on Friday.

Day 7 - Special Relativity (Tue 5/20- read Taylor Spec. Rel. Chpt.)

  • Definition of proper time
  • Length contraction and definition of proper length
  • Minkowski diagrams keep speed of light constant in all frames
  • Simultaneity

Day 8 - Special Relativity (Wed 5/21- read Taylor Spec. Rel. Chpt.)

  • The geometry of a Minkowski diagram (example, find length contraction)
  • Lorentz transformation equations = Minkowski diagram (example, the Clairvoyante question)
  • Space-like and time-like separations.

Day 9 - Special Relativity (Thu 5/22 - Read Dr. Dray's class notes)

  • Hyperbolic geometry, 3-4-5 triangle example muon through the lab
  • “Squared length” is invariant under change of reference frame.
  • Group Work: Paradoxes
  • Velocity transformations (simple extension of Lorentz transform)

Day 10 - Relativistic Mechanics (Fri 5/23 - read Griffiths 507-511)

  • Animations of the Paradoxes
  • Energy & Momentum (review elastic vs. inelastic collisions, ordinary velocity doesn't give conserved quantity p = mv.)

HW #2 due at 5 pm

Day 11 - No class (Mon 5/26)

  • Memorial day

Day 12 - Relativistic Mechanics (Tue 5/27 - read Griffiths 511-515)

Day 13 - Relativistic E & M (Wed 5/28 - read Griffiths p522-525)

  • Review mechanics
  • Derive magnetic forces using only electrostatics and special relativity

Day 14 - Relativistic E & M (Thu 5/29 - read Griffiths p525-532)

  • How the fields transform
  • Elegant solutions to some important electrostatics questions
  • The invariance of (E^2 - (c^2)B^2)

Day 15 - Summary (Fri 5/30)

  • Practice for the final
  • HW #3 due at 5pm

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Final


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