Session:
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Teaching Ideas for Upper Division Courses
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Paper Type:
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Contributed
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Title:
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Relativity on Rotated Graph Paper: Calculating with Causal Diamonds
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Meeting:
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2018 Winter Meeting: San Diego, CA |
Location:
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N/A |
Date:
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Time:
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8:00PM
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Author:
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Roberto Salgado,, U Wisconsin La Crosse,
608-799-2981, rsalgado@uwlax.edu
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Co-Author(s):
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None
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Abstract:
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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.
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Footnotes:
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Relativity on Rotated Graph Paper, American Journal of Physics 84, 344 (2016); http://dx.doi.org/10.1119/1.4943251
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Presentation:
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FG07-Salgado-RelativityRotatedGraphPaper-CalculatingWithCausalDiamonds.pdf
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