An illustrated guide to relativity
By: Tatsu Takeuchi
Publisher: Cambridge University Press
Published: 2010
Place of publication: Cambridge, UK; New York
Language: eng
Number of pages: 256
ISBN-13: 9780521763943; 9780521141000
Subjects: Relativity (Physics); Pictorial works
Other titles: Guide to relativity; Relativity
Description: Presents a step-by-step explanation of Einstein's Special Theory of Relativity through a series of diagrams rather than equations.
Notes: Includes bibliographical references (p. [254]) and index.
Table of contents: title: Pt. I. Kinematics: relativity without any equations; title: 1. Welcome to the world of relativity; title: 2. Basics; title: Questions about motion; title: Frames of reference; title: Relativity of motion; title: The Law of Inertia; title: Inertial and non-inertial frames; title: What's so "special" about Special Relativity?; title: 3. Galilean relativity; title: Basic questions; title: Spacetime diagrams; title: The Galilei transformation; title: Addition of velocities; title: Acceleration and Newton's Second Law; title: 4. Einsteinian relativity; title: The mystery of the speed of light; title: Modification to the spacetime diagram; title: The problem; title: The solution; title: Einstein's argument; title: The solution, continued; title: Conservation of spacetime volume; title: The Lorentz transformation; title: The low velocity limit of the Lorentz transformation; title: Addition of velocities; title: Dependence of inertia on speed; title: 5. Causality; title: Before and after; title: Paradox?; title: Instantaneous communication?; title: Impossibility of faster than light travel; title: The light-cone; title: 6. Consequences; title: Synchronization of clocks; title: Time dilation; title: What time dilation DOES NOT mean; title: Lorentz contraction; title: What Lorentz contraction DOES NOT mean; title: Twin paradox; title: Doppler effect; title: Red shift; title: Blue shift; title: Red shift and the expansion of the universe; title: Pt. II. Problems; title: 8. Qualitative problems; title: Reading the spacetime diagram; title: Street lamps; title: Supernovae; title: Questions on before and after; title: The hare and the tortoise 1, 2, 3; title: The starship and the supernova; title: Relativistic sports; title: Tagging up in baseball 1, 2; title: The offside rule in soccer; title: Lorentz contraction; title: Train and tunnel; title: The starship and the enemy space cruiser 1, 2; title: The duel of the space cruisers; title: Trains in a tunnel; title: 9. Quantitative problems; title: Addition of velocities; title: Pt. III. Dynamics: relativity with a few equations; title: 10. The world's most famous equation; title: 11. The problem; title: 12. Newtonian dynamics; title: The mass-momentum vector; title: The impulse vector; title: Inertial mass; title: Newton's Second Law; title: Newton's Third Law and the conservation of mass-momentum; title: 13. Relativistic dynamics; title: The energy-momentum vector; title: The energy-momentum vector of a photon; title: The work-impulse vector; title: Conservation of energy-momentum; title: E=mc2; title: Common misconception about E=mc2; title: 14. Summary of Pt. III.