Can a Geometric Animation Help Visualize the Special Theory of Relativity?

[stickman76]

There is a relationship between each of the mathematical values in each of the paradoxes with regard to each observers. There is obviously also a relationship between every situation we study in the Special Theory of Relativity. The Lorentz Transformations obviously prove this. So, I began to wonder, is it possible to visually represent these situations with a geometric shape that changes when the values change? For educational purposes- to help beginners visualize what is happening-

Example: Each side would have a mathematical value (or maybe descriptively) each individual side would represent time dilation, length contraction, light constancy, etc) and as one side's value increased, another decreased so that the sum total of the lengths of the shape would stay the same, the area of the shape would stay the same even as the shape was distorted. The side representing light constancy would stay the same illustrating light constancy. The length of the side representing time dilation would change representing the amount of time dilation, etc.

Could this be an interactive animation similar to the Minkowski diagram but shown as a geometric shape instead of a plot?

 

[Jorrie]

Could this be an interactive animation similar to the Minkowski diagram but shown as a geometric shape instead of a plot?

Have you looked at the "Adamtoons" representation of SR/GR? It is a good little 2D interactive utility, based on Epstein's 'Relativity Visualized'. It depicts not Minkowski spacetime, but rather 'space-propertime'. It is exact for SR, though only correct to first order for GR.

 

[stickman76]

I checked it out, thank you. Anything utilizing graphics is helpful to learn these concepts. I’m compiling a list of bookmarks to animations like this so anything else you can suggest is greatly appreciated.

 

[Ibix]

My own http://www.ibises.org.uk/Minkowski.html let's you draw Minkowski diagrams and smoothly animates frame changes. You may alsowish to check out the Insights article on relativity on rotated graph paper by @robphy.

 

[Arkalius]

My own http://www.ibises.org.uk/Minkowski.html let's you draw Minkowski diagrams and smoothly animates frame changes. You may alsowish to check out the Insights article on relativity on rotated graph paper by @robphy.

Is that yours? I love that tool, been using it for awhile. It's a great help when I'm having trouble visualizing a scenario. If you have any interest in updating it and are receptive to requests or ideas, I could send a few your way.

 

[Ibix]

Is that yours? I love that tool, been using it for awhile. It's a great help when I'm having trouble visualizing a scenario. If you have any interest in updating it and are receptive to requests or ideas, I could send a few your way.

Yes, I wrote it. Happy to take suggestions, although I don't know if or when I'd get round to implementing them. If you know javascript you're welcome to take a copy and modifumy it yourself - it's all self-contained.