Document Type
Course
Journal/Book Title/Conference
Physics 3710 – Intermediate Modern Physics, Spring 2018
Publication Date
1-8-2018
First Page
1
Last Page
4
Abstract
Ordinary, everyday, Galilean/Newtonian relativity
An “event” is something that happens at a point in space, at an instant in time. In physics, relativity means the rules by which two observers can compare and make sense of measurements each makes of the positions and times of the same events. In physics, an observer is not a person or an individual measuring device. Such isolated “detectors” are plagued by experimental issues of parallax, delay times, and so forth. For our purposes, an observer will always mean an infinite collection of rigidly attached, perfect sensors and microprocessors whose internal clocks are perfectly synchronized. The sensor and microprocessor “closest” to an event gets to record that event’s position and time. The sensors and microprocessors that make up each observer are magic: they can pass through one another without crashing and breaking. Thus, two perfect observers can be in motion relative to one another and each can record (infinitely rapidly and without error) positions and times of events.
Recommended Citation
Peak, David, "Background, 2" (2018). Background. Paper 2.
https://digitalcommons.usu.edu/intermediate_modernphysics_background/2