Week 1: Foundations of Special Relativity
We start with an introduction, the organizational structure of the course, and dive into a discussion of waves, light, and the Michelson-Morley experiment.
Week 2: Spacetime in Special Relativity
In the second week, we increase the speed and cover time dilation and length contraction. We introduce spacetime diagrams, a useful tool to discuss paradoxes in special relativity.
Week 3: Kinematics in Special Relativity
Realizing that space and time together describe events, we introduce 4-vectors and the algebra of Lorentz transformations. The concepts of velocity, momentum, and energy are introduced using a 4-vector notation and then used to describe collisions.
Week 4: Beyond Special Relativity
In the last week, we look beyond the core content of special relativity with a discussion of tests and applications of special relativity including particle physics, GPS, and electromagnetism, and we take a glance towards general relativity. The course concludes with a review.
