Table of Contents
Paradoxes II: Instructor's Guide
Main Ideas
Students' Task
Prerequisite Knowledge
Props/Equipment
Wrap-Up
Navigate
back to the activity
.
Paradoxes II: Instructor's Guide
Main Ideas
Most “paradoxes” result from poorly-posed questions.
All observers must agree!
Special relativity changes our understanding of matter.
Students' Task
Estimated Time: 20 minutes, including wrap-up
Warmup:
Have the class as a whole discuss the first two paradoxes on the handout.
Have each group select one of the next two paradoxes.
Half the group should draw a spacetime diagram of what is observed from one reference frame; the other half from the other reference frame.
Each group should reconcile their two diagrams.
If time permits, repeat with one of the other paradoxes on the handout.
Prerequisite Knowledge
basic understanding of spacetime diagrams
the ability to calibrate spacetime diagrams using hyperbolas would be helpful
Props/Equipment
Table top whiteboards
and markers
Handout
Wrap-Up
Compare the spacetime diagrams from different groups, and for different paradoxes.
Discuss the rules for drawing spacetime diagrams, along the lines of §
6.5
of
the text
.
See also the discussion of spacetime diagrams for the pole and barn paradox, which can be found
here
.