Special relativity: a heuristic approach

This book provides a qualitative exposition of relativity theory on the basis of the constancy of the speed of light. Using Einstein's signal velocity as the defining idea for the notion of simultaneity and the fact that the speed of light is independent of the motion of its source, chapters delve into a qualitative exposition of the relativity of time and length, discuss the time dilation formula using the standard light clock, explore the Minkowski four-dimensional space-time distance based on how the time dilation formula is derived, and define the components of the two-dimensional space-time velocity, amongst other topics. It provides a heuristic derivation of the Minkowski distance formula, uses relativistic photography to see Lorentz transformation and vector algebra manipulation in action, and includes worked examples.

Front Cover; Special Relativity; Copyright; Contents; Preface; List of Symbols, Phrases, and Acronyms; Note to the Reader; 1 Qualitative Relativity; 1.1 It Began With Maxwell; 1.1.1 Einstein and Signal Velocity; 1.2 Relativity of Simultaneity; 1.2.1 Simultaneity in a Single RF; 1.2.2 Simultaneity in Different RFs; 1.3 Relativity of Length; 1.4 Problems; 2 Relativity of Time and Space; 2.1 Time Dilation; 2.1.1 Proper Time; 2.2 Length Contraction; 2.3 Relativisticity; 2.4 The Twin Paradox; 2.5 Problems; 3 Lorentz Transformation; 3.1 ""Derivation"" of Euclidean Distance.

3.1.1 Coordinate Transformation3.2 Spacetime Distance; 3.3 Lorentz Transformation; 3.4 Examples of the Use of LT; 3.5 Relativistic Law of Addition of Velocities; 3.6 Problems; 4 Spacetime Geometry; 4.1 Plane Spacetime Geometry; 4.1.1 Events and Worldlines; 4.1.2 Light Cone; 4.2 Rules of Spacetime Geometry; 4.2.1 Invariant Distance; 4.2.2 The Rules; 4.3 Examples of Spacetime Diagrams; 4.3.1 Simultaneity Revisited; 4.3.2 The Train and the Tunnel; 4.3.3 The Doppler Effect; 4.3.4 Time Travel?; 4.4 Lorentz Transformation Revisited; 4.4.1 Lorentz Transformation and Time Travel.

4.5 Curved Worldlines4.5.1 The Spacetime Tr…