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We look afresh at the deduction of the "Lorentz contraction" of a "rod" from the Lorentz transformation equations of the special theory of relativity. We show that under special conditions, which include acceleration of the "rod", length…
Within the framework of general relativity, in some cases at least, it is a delicate and interesting question just what it means to say that an extended body is or is not "rotating". It is so for two reasons. First, one can easily think of…
The study of the motion of a rigid body on a plane (RBP motion) is usually one of the most challenging topics that students face in introductory physics courses. In this paper, we discuss a couple of problems which are typically used in…
We discuss the most elementary properties of the hyperbolic trigonometry and show how they can be exploited to get a simple, albeit interesting, geometrical interpretation of the special relativity. It yields indeed a straightforword…
The orientation of a rigid object can be described by a rotation that transforms it into a standard position. For a symmetrical object the rotation is known only up to multiplication by an element of the symmetry group. Such ambiguous…
This document gathers the notes of a 30-hour review course on gravitation, which I delivered in January 2018 and January 2019 at the African Institute for Mathematical Sciences of Cameroon (AIMS-Cameroon). Its main goal is to propose a big…
The small discrepancy between the observed orbit of Mercury and the orbit predicted by Newtonian gravity was a key test of Einstein's theory, and a dramatic verification of the correctness of General Relativity. This `anomalous precession'…
Covariational reasoning -- reasoning about how changes in one quantity relate to changes in another quantity -- has been examined extensively in mathematics education research. Little research has been done, however, on covariational…
In geometric algebra, the rotation of a vector is described using rotors. Rotors are phasors where the imaginary number has been replaced by a oriented plane element of unit area called a unit bivector. The algebra in three dimensional…
We study the drift induced by the passage of two cylinders through an unbounded extent of inviscid incompressible fluid under the assumption that the flow is two-dimensional and steady in the moving frame of reference. The goal is to assess…
Taking up a method devised by Taylor and Wheeler and collecting pieces of their work we offer a self-contained derivation of the formulae giving both the precession of the orbit of a planet around the Sun and the deflection angle of a light…
Learning physics requires understanding the applicability of fundamental principles in a variety of contexts that share deep features. One way to help students learn physics is via analogical reasoning. Students can be taught to make an…
We are interested in the naive problem whether we can move a solid object in a solid box or not. We restrict move to rotation. In the case we can, the centre and the ``direction'' of rotation may be restricted. Simplifying, we consider…
It is well known that magnetic force between two current carrying conductors is a relativistic manifestation of net electrostatic force between relatively moving electrons & protons of the two wires. On similar grounds but with more…
First part of a didactic sequence of activities on some topics of Astronomy, related mainly with the day and night cycle and the seasons, including the construction of a simplified solar system model and its use as a resource to discuss…
The main theoretical aspects of gravitomagnetism are reviewed. It is shown that the gravitomagnetic precession of a gyroscope is intimately connected with the special temporal structure around a rotating mass that is revealed by the…
The Classical Twin Paradox is widely dealt in literature and neatly resolved. In addition, it is also well known that, when looking at two systems which are boosted relative to each other, the concept of the simultaneous effect of a quantum…
The theory of general relativity predicts the existence of closed time-like curves (CTCs), which theoretically would allow an observer to travel back in time and interact with their past self. This raises the question of whether this could…
Using the standard formalism of Lorentz transformation of the special theory of relativity, we derive the exact expression of the Thomas precession rate for an electron in a classical circular orbit around the nucleus of a hydrogen-like…
Special Relativity is often seen as a conceptually difficult topic, which in turn is difficult to effectively teach. This work focuses on the role of visualizations as a tool in teaching Special Relativity at the secondary or university…