This paper describes several relativistic phenomena in two spatial dimensions that can be modeled using the collision program of Spacetime Software. These include the familiar aberration, the Doppler effect, the headlight effect, and the invariance of the speed of light in vacuum, in addition to the rather unfamiliar effects like the dragging of light in a moving medium, reflection at moving mirrors, Wigner rotation of noncommuting boosts, and relativistic rotation of shrinking and expanding rods. All these phenomena are exhibited by tracings of composite computer printouts of the collision movie. It is concluded that an interactive educational graphics software with pleasing visuals can have considerable investigative power packed within it.

Topics
Doppler effect, Fundamental constants, Special relativity
This content is only available via PDF.
© 1990 American Association of Physics Teachers.
1990
American Association of Physics Teachers
AAPT members receive access to the American Journal of Physics and The Physics Teacher as a member benefit. To learn more about this member benefit and becoming an AAPT member, visit the Joining AAPT page.