The Lorentz Transformation
1.5 The Lorentz Transformation
Learning Objectives
- Describe the Galilean transformation of classical mechanics, relating the position, time, velocities, and accelerations measured in different inertial frames
- Derive the corresponding Lorentz transformation equations, which, in contrast to the Galilean transformation, are consistent with special relativity
- Explain the Lorentz transformation and many of the features of relativity in terms of four-dimensional space-time
Lorentz Transformation
Practice!
| Practice 1.5.1 |
|---|
| A MARTA bus travels down Peachtree Street at speed 4/5c. At 7:00pm, streetlights on Peachtree all turn on simultaneously (in the frame of the street). ln the reference frame of the bus, the streetlights ahead of the bus turn on: |
| (a) At the same time as the streetlights behind the bus |
| (b) After the streetlights behind the bus |
| (c) Before the streetlights behind the bus |
| (d) There are way too many people on the bus and there is no way to tell which lights come on first since you can’t see out any of the windows. |
Physics Education Research at UNG 