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Physics Seminar: Relativity

Imagine this: You can fit a 10 m pole in a barn half the size. Your twin is now 10 years older than you, but you didn't use a time machine. And no matter how fast you run, you can never reach the speed of light. How can you explain these scenarios? We will use thought experiments like these and other tools to explore Einstein's theory of special relativity. We introduce Einstein's two postulates and explore the counterintuitive effects of time dilation, length contraction, and relativity of simultaneity. The class concludes with a look at spacetime diagrams and several challenging paradoxes of relativity.

2 days
2 days  

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Who Should Take?

This course is for students interested in the basics of the mind-bending theory of special relativity. This course does not assume any physics knowledge and is intended for students interested in learning about a conceptually challenging theory of space and time. Students should have a basic competency with algebra before taking this course. We recommend having taken Introduction to Algebra A at AoPS or having the equivalent knowledge.

Lessons

Lesson 1 Principle of Relativity, Speed of Light, and Time Dilation
Lesson 2 Length Contraction, Simultaneity, and Paradoxes

I really enjoyed taking my first AoPS class. I always thought that online classes weren't very good. I was mistaken after I took this class. Not only did Introduction to Geometry help me become a better math student, it also helped me to think more abstractly and look for multiple roads to solve a problem. I enjoy the way the classroom is run and the pace was very nice. The class wasn’t boring at all. This class challenged me to become a better thinker and was way more challenging than regular school courses. I am also very glad that AoPS also included a little bit of a social aspect to math with the message boards. I made a lot of friends through this course. In school, I am always made fun of for being ahead of all of the other students. On AoPS I actually feel accepted for once because I can interact with kids that are more advanced than I am and also I learn from them. I will definitely take another AoPS class.