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  Session: Teaching Ideas for Upper Division Courses
  Paper Type: Contributed
  Title: Relativity on Rotated Graph Paper: Calculating with Causal Diamonds
  Meeting: 2018 Winter Meeting: San Diego, CA
  Location: N/A
  Date:
  Time: 8:00PM
  Author: Roberto Salgado,, U Wisconsin La Crosse,
608-799-2981, rsalgado@uwlax.edu
  Co-Author(s): None
  Abstract: We use simple geometrical constructions on rotated graph paper to perform Lorentz-invariant calculations visually. We emphasize two properties of the causal diamond between a pair of events in spacetime: the area represents the square-interval and the aspect ratio represents the square of the Doppler factor. Quantitative results can be read off the diagram by counting boxes, using a minimal amount of algebra. We demonstrate the clock effect/twin paradox and a relativistic collision.
  Footnotes: Relativity on Rotated Graph Paper, American Journal of Physics 84, 344 (2016); http://dx.doi.org/10.1119/1.4943251
  Presentation: FG07-Salgado-RelativityRotatedGraphPaper-CalculatingWithCausalDiamonds.pdf

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