Learning and teaching Einstein's Theory of Special Relativity: state of the art

Prado, Xabier; Domínguez, José Manuel; Area, Iván; Edelstein, José D.; Mira, J.; Paredes, Ángel

doi:10.48550/arxiv.2012.15149

Cited by 3 publications

(5 citation statements)

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“…Different didactic works based on Minkowski's geometry have been recently pointed out by Prado et al [7], who formulated a geometrical teaching proposal that allows students to visualize and understand qualitatively and quantitatively relativistic phenomena.…”

Section: Didactic Of Spacetime In Special Relativitymentioning

confidence: 99%

“…The dog's length L is obtained by subtracting the head's coordinate to the tail's one: L = (1.00 ± 0.02) ls. (7) In figure 13 we have applied Lorentz transformation to boost into the blue man's perspective.…”

Section: Length Contractionmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…Different international researches [5][6][7] pointed out the difficulties encountered in both Michelson-Morley's experiment) to introduce Einstein's principles of Special Relativity;…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

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A teaching proposal for the didactics of Special Relativity: the spacetime globe

Leonardi¹,

Mobilio²,

Fazio³

2022

Phys. Educ.

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Special Relativity introduces students to Modern Physics, whose importance in the high school is increasing. Nevertheless its teaching and learning is a critical issue. Different solutions have been developed to overcome the encountered difficulties. In this paper we describe the spacetime globe, a mechanical instrument that allows to experience Special Relativity hands-on. We show how it is possible to treat all the main phenomena foreseen by Special Relativity with simple laboratory experiences, using the idea of Minkowski’s spacetime diagrams. The aim is to develop the use of geometrical approach in learning Special Relativity in high schools.

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Section: Didactic Of Spacetime In Special Relativitymentioning

confidence: 99%

Section: Length Contractionmentioning

confidence: 99%

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A teaching proposal for the didactics of Special Relativity: the spacetime globe

Leonardi¹,

Mobilio²,

Fazio³

2022

Phys. Educ.

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“…Indeed, empirical evidence indicates that many students have difficulties with the concept of frames of reference both in relativistic and non-relativistic setups, see e.g. [4] and references therein. These concepts are among the most abstract ones that appear in subjects related to elementary mechanics.…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Hands-on visualization of the effect of fictitious forces with a laser pointer

Vázquez-Dorrío,

Paredes,

Angel Queiruga-Dios

2023

Eur. J. Phys.

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Inertial motion looks like accelerated motion when observed from the point of view of a non-inertial reference frame. A non-inertial observer can then describe the trajectories by introducing fictitious forces, like the centrifugal and Coriolis forces, that arise from the coordinate change between reference frames. This well-known fact is part of the typical Physics syllabus for undergraduate scientists and engineers, and a number of interesting classroom demonstrations have been discussed in the literature. We present a complementary possibility for the visualization of the effect of fictitious forces by shining a blue laser beam on a rotating platform covered with a phosphorescent vinyl sheet. The laser can be moved in order to simulate inertial motion in the laboratory frame for the trajectory of the laser spot. This gets immediately imprinted in the rotating phosphorescent material resulting in non-inertial trajectories that can be readily observed and compared to the dynamics governed by fictitious forces. Since friction is not considered, this hands-on activity can be considered as a direct demonstration of the effect of pure fictitious forces in and out of the classroom. The approach is simple, inexpensive, fast and non-destructive, and can therefore be very convenient for active lecture demonstrations or individual activities of students. We also describe some educational possibilities of how to use the procedure in the classroom or in the laboratory.

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“…One aspect of Minkowski's approach, the use of Minkowski diagrams has long been recognized as an effective teaching tool in special relativity [19][20][21][22], and no modern textbook on special relativity can avoid the use of four-vectors, another aspect Minkowski's approach. However, in this article, we are not interested in these things.…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Do moving clocks slow down?

Alizzi¹,

Sen²,

Силагадзе³

2022

Eur. J. Phys.

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The special theory of relativity has fundamentally changed our views of space and time. The relativity of simultaneity in particular, and the theory of relativity as a whole, still presents significant difficulty for beginners in the theory. The difficulty stems from the fact that the usual presentation of special relativity is based on Newtonian concepts, which are relativized and change their meaning in the course of the presentation. A better pedagogical practice, in our opinion, would be to base the presentation from the very beginning on the four-dimensional formulation of Minkowski and thus remove from the theory all the paradoxical connotations that invariably accompany the usual presentation of special relativity.

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Learning and teaching Einstein's Theory of Special Relativity: state of the art

Cited by 3 publications

References 0 publications

A teaching proposal for the didactics of Special Relativity: the spacetime globe

A teaching proposal for the didactics of Special Relativity: the spacetime globe

Hands-on visualization of the effect of fictitious forces with a laser pointer

Do moving clocks slow down?

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