Links to Solved Probems Problems in special relativity

doug <sweetser@alum.mit.edu>

Problem Set 1, Kinematic Effects of Relativity

Preamble: Initialization functions

R & H: 2 - 9 A moving clock

R & H: 2-10 A moving rocket

R & H: 2-13 A fast rocket

 

Problem Set 2, More Kinematic Effects of Relativity

French: 4-5

French: 4-9

French: 4-12

R & H: 2-14 A slow plane

R & H: 2-21 Travel to the galactic center

R & H: 2-24 Decay in flight (II)

R & H: 2-25 Decay in flight (III)

R & H: 2-26 Decay in flight (IV)

R & H: 2-28 Simultaneous - but to whom?

R & H: 2-36 What time is it anyway?

Baranger: The cat's life

Baranger: The particle's life

Baranger: Trains and clocks

Baranger: Blow up the Earth

 

Problem Set 3: The Lorentz transformation and addition of velocities

Lorentz transformations

Baranger: Inverse of a boost

Baranger: Boosting photons

Baranger: The ladder in the barn

R & H: 2-34 Two flashes at different locations - or are they?

Addition of velocities

R & H: 2-59 Watching the decay of a moving nucleus

Baranger: Boosting boosted frames

French: 5-7 Two ways to double a boost

 

Problem Set 4: The Doppler Effect, 4-Vector Invariants & the Twin Paradox

The Doppler effect

French: 5-9

French: 5-10

French: 5-11

French: 5-12

R & H: 2-68 A Doppler shift revealed as a color change

R & H: 2-71 The Ives-Stillwell experiment

R & H: 2-83 The headlight effect

Four vector invariants

Baranger: The decay of a particle - timelike or spacelike?

R & H: 2-42 The interval is invariant

R & H: 2-43 An event pair - timelike or spacelike?

R & H: 2-44 An event pair - spacelike or timelike?

The twin paradox

Baranger: The tortoise and the hare

R & H: B2-2 Einstein and the clock paradox

R & H: B2-12 Getting younger

French: 5-20 Signals from twins

 

Problem Set 5: Energy, Momentum and Mass

French: 6-3

French: 6-4

Baranger: The projectile

French: 6-11

French: 6-14

French: 7-1

Baranger: Protons to Kaons

Baranger: A photon collision

Baranger: Multiplying 4 vectors

Baranger: An inelastic collision

 

Problem Set 6: The Compton Effect and Threshold Collision Problems

French: 6-16 The Compton effect

French: 6-18

French: 6-19 Compton scattering

French: 7-2 Largest particle in an accelerator

Baranger: Threshold kinetic energy

French: 7-3

Baranger: Another threshold

French: 7-6