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. Physics 209: Notes on Special Relativity
Spring, 2000
Version of March 5, 2000
N. David Mermin
Table of Contents
1. The Principle of Relativity ...... 2 2. Nonrelativistic Addition of Velocities ...... 9
3. The Speed of Light ...... 13 4. Relativistic Addition of Velocities ...... 21
5. Simultaneity and Clock Synchronization ...... 37
6. Slowing Down of Moving clocks; Contraction of Moving Objects ...... 46 7. Looking at a Moving Clock ...... 61
8. Invariance of the Interval between Events ...... 66
9. Trains of Rockets ...... 74 10. Space-Time Diagrams ...... 83
11. E = Mc2 ...... 111 12. A Relativstic Tragicomedy ...... 133