Related papers: The Normalization Problem of Special Relativity
Besides the defining space-time symmetries (homogeneity and isotropy) of inertial frames, the derivation of Lorentz transformation requires postulating the principle of relativity and the existence of a finite speed limit. In this article,…
Two common misconceptions about the theory of Special Relativity that are actively taught in textbooks are discussed. It is shown, first, that the Lorentz transformations are actually transformations of the coordinates of a photon, not the…
One of the concepts of Relativity theory that challenges conventional intuition the most is time dilation and length contraction. Usual approaches for describing relativistic effects in quantum systems merely postulate the consequences of…
The theory of measurement is employed to elucidate the physical basis of general relativity. For measurements involving phenomena with intrinsic length or time scales, such scales must in general be negligible compared to the (translational…
It is argued that the `perspectival change' of a physical object in special relativity may be given a natural dynamical explanation in terms of a change in the object under the action of certain forces in a rest properties-preserving way.
The conventional discussion of the observed distortions of space and time in Special Relativity (the Lorentz-Fitzgerald Contraction and Time Dilatation) is extended by considering observations, from a stationary frame, of : (i) objects…
The speed of light is usually taken as one of the fundamental constants. String, and field, theories appear to require the altercation of this constant into a functional form $E(m,c)$ which is not $E=mc^2$. The analysis requires the…
Special relativity calculates, by means of the Lorentz gamma factor, the proper time of all inertial systems from the observer proper time, which is taken as a time standard. So, any temporal inference relies in first instance on the…
Lorentz Transformation is reinterpreted. It is shown that by admitting the existence of a frame of reference with synchronized clocks, we conclude that any other frame of reference that moves related to the first has desynchronized clocks.…
In the framework of special relativity, all particles are point-like or string-like. This nature of particles has caused the divergence difficulties in quantum field, string and superstring theories. In the framework of special relativity,…
Special relativity is no longer a new revolutionary theory but a firmly established cornerstone of modern physics. The teaching of special relativity, however, still follows its presentation as it unfolded historically, trying to convince…
In the present study, we analyze in combination the principles of special relativity and the phenomenon of the aberration of light, deriving a system of equations that allows establishing the relationship between the angles commonly…
Special relativity theory is well established and confirmed by experiments. This research establishes an operational measurement way to express the great theory in a geometrical form. This may be valuable for understanding the underlying…
While it has often been proposed that, fundamentally, Lorentz-invariance is not respected in a quantum theory of gravity, it has been difficult to reconcile deviations from Lorentz-invariance with quantum field theory. The most commonly…
The Lorentz Transformation is traditionally derived requiring the Principle of Relativity and light-speed universality. While the latter can be relaxed, the Principle of Relativity is seen as core to the transformation. The present letter…
This paper aims to provide teachers with a tool to teach the essential features of special relativity, considering the students' difficulties highlighted by numerous studies. Our proposal presents special relativity as the solution to the…
In the special theory of relativity, Lorentz invariance is extended in Minkowski spacetime from ideal inertial observers to actual observers by means of the hypothesis of locality, which postulates that accelerated observers are always…
In a recent article [1] we have explored alternative decompositions of the Lorentz transformation by adopting the synchronization convention of the target frame at the end and alternately at the outset. In this note we develop the…
We present a didactic derivation of the special theory of relativity in which Lorentz transformations are `discovered' as symmetry transformations of the Klein-Gordon equation. The interpretation of Lorentz boosts as transformations to…
In this article, we argue that the theory of special relativity, as formulated by Einstein, is a philosophical rather than a scientific theory. What is scientific and experimentally supported is the formalism of the relativistic mechanics…