Relativity
112 flashcards by MentisLibrary
Special relativity (Lorentz factor, time dilation, length contraction, energy and momentum), general relativity (equivalence principle, field equations, black holes, gravitational waves) and cosmology (expansion, dark energy, the CMB). For undergraduate physics students and curious learners.
- What is the first postulate of Special Relativity?
- The laws of physics are the same in all inertial reference frames
- What is the second postulate of Special Relativity?
- The speed of light in vacuum is the same for all observers regardless of their motion
- What is the value of the speed of light?
- c = 299792458 m/s
- What is the Lorentz factor?
- γ = 1/√(1 - v²/c²)
- What is the time dilation formula?
- Δt = γΔt₀
- What is the length contraction formula?
- L = L₀/γ
- What is proper time?
- Time measured in the rest frame of the clock
- What is proper length?
- Length measured in rest frame of object
- What is the relativistic velocity addition formula?
- u = (v + w)/(1 + vw/c²)
- What is the relativistic momentum?
- p = γmv
- What is the relativistic energy?
- E = γmc²
- What is the rest mass energy?
- E₀ = mc²
- What is the relativistic kinetic energy?
- KE = (γ - 1)mc²
- What is the energy-momentum relation?
- E² = (pc)² + (mc²)²
- What is the invariant mass formula?
- m²c⁴ = E² - (pc)²
- What is the Doppler shift formula (relativistic)?
- f' = f√((1-β)/(1+β))
- What is the transverse Doppler effect?
- f' = f/γ
- What is simultaneity in relativity?
- Events simultaneous in one frame may not be simultaneous in another
- What is a light cone?
- Set of all possible worldlines from an event
- What is a worldline?
- Path of object through spacetime
- What is an inertial reference frame?
- Reference frame moving with constant velocity
- What is the spacetime interval?
- s² = -c²t² + x² + y² + z²
- What is a timelike interval?
- s² < 0
- What is a spacelike interval?
- s² > 0
- What is a lightlike interval?
- s² = 0
- What is four-vector notation?
- xμ = (ct x y z)
- What is the energy-momentum four-vector?
- pμ = (E/c px py pz)
- What is the Minkowski metric?
- ημν = diag(-1 1 1 1)
- What is a Lorentz transformation?
- Coordinate transformation between inertial frames
- What is the Lorentz boost in x-direction?
- x' = γ(x - vt); y' = y; z' = z; t' = γ(t - vx/c²)