This paper describes a simple applet for illustrating Lorentz transformations. The user specifies stationary and moving objects and light pulses, and sees animations of two reference frames. Even with minimal graphics (the objects are colored dots and the light flashes are expanding circles), such animations can make the concepts of redshift, length contraction, time dilation, and non-simultaneity more intuitive than traditional spacetime diagrams.
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The author’s Web site is 〈http://ankh-morpork.maths.qmul.ac.uk/∼saha/teach/lorentz/〉.
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See EPAPS Document No. E-AJPIAS-71-013311 for the software, including examples, and related documentation.
A direct link to this document may be found in the online article’s HTML reference section. The document may also be reached via the EPAPS homepage (http://www.aip.org/pubservs/epaps.html) or from ftp.aip.org in the directory /epaps. See the EPAPS homepage for more information.
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© 2003 American Association of Physics Teachers.
2003
American Association of Physics Teachers
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