Introducing Relativity on Rotated Graph Paper: A Graphical Motivation

Context: Insights
Thread starter robphy
Start date Feb 16, 2022
Tags

Graph Motivation Paper Relativity

Join the discussion

Ask a follow-up here, or get your own question answered by working scientists, mathematicians and engineers — people, not an autocomplete.

Real named experts · corrections over time · the nuance an AI answer skips

0 replies · 2K views

robphy

Science Advisor

Homework Helper

Insights Author

Gold Member

Thread starter
Feb 16, 2022

(based on https://www.physicsforums.com/threads/teaching-sr-without-simultaneity.1011051/post-6588952 and https://physics.stackexchange.com/a/689291/148184 )

In my earlier Insight Spacetime Diagrams of Light Clocks,
I stated without proof that the areas of all light-clock diamonds are equal.
In my article, “Relativity on Rotated Graph Paper”, Am. J. Phys. 84, 344 (2016)
I provided algebraic proof.

In the penultimate draft, I had a non-algebraic motivating argument (which also motivates time dilation and length contraction)
that had to be left out because the article was already too long.
This argument now appears in Introducing relativity on rotated graph paper...