PHY 165: Space, Time, relativity
Reading responses
Ch. 1: Principle of Relativity
Ch. 2: Principle of the Constancy of the Velocity of Light
Ch. 3: How to Approach the Problem
Ch. 4: Length of a Moving Stick (I)
Ch. 6: Length of a Moving Stick (II)
Ch. 8: Objections and Reflections
Ch. 13: The Lorentz Transformation
Ch. 14-15: On Going Faster Than Light
Ch. 16: The Clock Paradox
Ch. 18: Energy and Momentum
Solutions and reference items
Office hours MWF 9-9:30AM. TR 12:40-2PM, or by appointment.
Tutoring for both PHY and PHI Su/M/W 8-9:30PM in Crounse 102.
Chapter 17 part 2 homework solutions
Chapter 17 part 1 homework solutions
Chapter 14&interval homework solutions
Second Minkowski diagram (Ch 17) worksheet solutions
First Minkowski diagram (Ch 17) worksheet solutions
Velocity addition (Ch 14) worksheet solutions
Spacetime interval worksheet solutions
Chapter 13 (Lor. Trans.) worksheet solutions
Chapter 13 (Lor. Trans.) slides
Slides for detour into curved spacetime
Chapter 7 combined worksheet solutions
Chapters 2-3 homework solutions
Solution to chapter 3 worksheet (homework help)
Solution to chapter 2 worksheet (light clock)
Chapter 1 homework solutions
Solution to chapter 1 worksheet
Course syllabus
Fall term academic calendar
Fall term final exam schedule
Daily action items by date
All reading assignments are due by 11:59PM on the date they are assigned below.
------- Week 13 items below (12/1-12/9) -------
12/2 (Mon):
• Homework due Monday 12/9 in class: All problems in the E=mc^2 homework sheet.
12/6 (Fri)
• Paradox presentations, part 2, in class today.
12/9 (Mon)
• Homework due today in class: All problems in the E=mc^2 homework sheet.
• Our final exam is Thursday, Dec 12, 8:30-11:30AM in our usual room.
------- Week 12 items below (11/17-11/24) -------
11/18 (Mon):
• Homework due Today in class: All problems in the Chapter 17 part 1 homework sheet.
11/20 (Wed):
• Exam #3 in class today emphasizing Lorentz trans., velocity addition, spacetime interval, and Minkowski diagrams.
• Homework due Monday 12/2 in class: All problems in the Chapter 17 part 2 homework sheet.
11/22 (Fri):
• Group discussions of paradoxes for second round of presentations (on Fri. 12/6)
• Our last topic will be E=mc^2. Rather than reading chapter 18, which is optional, we will rely on class discussion and notes.
------- Week 11 items below (11/10-11/17) -------
11/11 (Mon):
• Homework due Monday 11/18 class: All problems in the Chapter 17 part 1 homework sheet.
11/13 (Wed):
• Homework due in class: All problems in the Chapter 14-15 and interval homework sheet.
------- Week 10 items below (11/3-11/10) -------
11/3 (Sun):
• Read Chapters 14-15
11/6 (Wed):
• Homework due in class: All problems in the Chapter 13 homework sheet.
• Homework due Wednesday 11/13: All problems in the Chapter 14-15 and interval homework sheet.
11/7 (Thurs):
• Read Chapter 17. (Chapter 16 on the twin paradox is optional.)
------- Week 9 items below (10/27-11/3) -------
10/28 (Mon):
• Final paradox presentations today in class
10/29 (Tues):
• Read chapter 13
11/1 (Fri):
• Optional test corrections due at start of class
• Homework due Wed. 11/6: All problems in the Chapter 13 homework sheet.
------- Week 8 items below (10/20-10/28) -------
10/23 (Wed):
• Exam 2 (through chapter 7) in class today
------- Week 7 items below (10/16-10/20) -------
10/17 (Thurs):
• Read Mermin Chapters 9 & 10
------- Week 6 items below (10/6-10/13) -------
10/8 (Tues):
• Read Mermin Chapter 8
10/11 (Fri):
• Draft presentations on paradoxes, for feedback from audience.
------- Week 5 items below (9/29-10/6) -------
9/29 (Sun):
• Read Mermin Chapter 7
10/2 (Wed):
• Homework due at start of class: All problems in the Chapter 6 homework sheet
• Due Wednesday 10/9: All problems in the Chapter 7 homework sheet
------- Week 4 items below (9/22-9/29) -------
9/22 (Sun):
• Read Mermin Chapter 6
9/23 (Mon):
• Homework due at start of class: All problems in the Chapter 5 homework sheet
9/25 (Wed):
• Exam 1 chapters 1-5 in class today
9/27 (Fri):
• Due Wednesday 10/2: All problems in the Chapter 6 homework sheet
------- Week 3 items below (9/16-9/22) -------
9/15 (Sun):
• Read Mermin Chapter 5
9/16 (Mon):
• Due Monday 9/23: All problems in the Chapter 5 homework sheet
9/22 (Sun):
• Read Mermin Chapter 6
------- Week 2 items below (9/9-9/15) -------
9/8 (Sun):
• Read Mermin Chapter 3
9/9 (Mon):
• Homework due at start of class: Problems 1.1-1.7 in the Chapter 1 homework sheet
• Due Friday 9/13: All problems in the Chapter 2-3 homework sheet
9/10 (Tues):
• Read Mermin Chapter 4
9/13 (Fri):
• Homework due at start of class: All problems in the Chapter 2-3 homework sheet
------- Week 1 items below (9/2-9/8) -------
9/2 (Mon):
• Class meeting discussing the course
• Due Monday 9/9: Problems 1.1-1.7 in the Chapter 1 homework sheet
9/3 (Tues):
• Read Mermin Chapter 1 and post responses via link at the left
9/5 (Thurs):
• Read Mermin Chapter 2 (and post responses, which goes without saying in the future)
9/6 (Fri):
• Due Friday 9/13: All problems in the Chapter 2-3 homework sheet
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Below are some supplemental videos recorded during the pandemic. Note that classes were only six weeks long, and met four days a week for more than one hour, so they do not line up with our course meetings this term. Also, some weeks there are less than five videos because of exams or supplemental activities. Feel free to watch them if you like.