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Physics Tutorial 18.1 - Relativity. Galilean Transformations. Einstein's Postulates and Newton's Laws

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There are 5 lessons in this physics tutorial covering Relativity. Galilean Transformations. Einstein's Postulates and Newton's Laws. The tutorial starts with an introduction to Relativity. Galilean Transformations. Einstein's Postulates and Newton's Laws and is then followed with a list of the separate lessons, the tutorial is designed to be read in order but you can skip to a specific lesson or return to recover a specific physics lesson as required to build your physics knowledge of Relativity. Galilean Transformations. Einstein's Postulates and Newton's Laws. you can access all the lessons from this tutorial below.

In this Physics tutorial, you will learn:

  • What is an inertial frame of reference?
  • What does the Galilean Principle of Relativity say about motion?
  • What are the Galilean transformations? What are the equations expressing them?
  • What do the Einstein Postulates say on relativity?
  • What is an event is relativity?
  • What do the spacetime coordinates in the Newtonian System represent?
  • How do the Newton's Laws apply in inertial frames of reference?
  • What are non-inertial frames of reference?
  • What are some inertial systems of reference we can choose when studying the motion of particles? Which is the best one?

Introduction

Suppose you are lying on a bed to take a rest. Are you moving in this case? Are you sure? Where do you base the idea that you are moving/not moving?

What can you say about the situation in which you are travelling by car and see the trees around the street moving backward? Do they really move backward? Are they moving in any way?

Is the Earth moving? What about the Sun? Solar system? Galaxies? The universe?

When do you have the sensation that the time elapses faster: during the working days or during the weekend? Why? Does the time really elapses at different paces in this case?

In this tutorial, we will discuss about a phenomenon known as "relativity", which implies the occurrence of an event at different paces, depending on the frame of reference we use to describe the event. Once, this topic was a taboo, until Einstein put it in scientific base.

In scientific terms, relativity is the field of study that measures events (things that happen): where and when they happen, and by how much any two events are separated in space and in time. In addition, relativity deals with transforming such measurements (and measurements of energy and momentum as well) between reference frames that move relative to each other. (From here, it brings the name relativity.)

Please select a specific "Relativity. Galilean Transformations. Einstein's Postulates and Newton's Laws" lesson from the table below, review the video tutorial, print the revision notes or use the practice question to improve your knowledge of this physics topic.

Relativity Learning Material
Tutorial IDPhysics Tutorial TitleTutorialVideo
Tutorial
Revision
Notes
Revision
Questions
18.1Relativity. Galilean Transformations. Einstein's Postulates and Newton's Laws
Lesson IDPhysics Lesson TitleLessonVideo
Lesson
18.1.1Inertial Frames of Reference. Galilean Relativity
18.1.2Galilean Transformations
18.1.3The Postulates
18.1.4Measuring an Event. The Spacetime Coordinates in the Newtonian System and the Newton's First Law
18.1.5Newton's Second and Third Law and Systems of Reference

Whats next?

Enjoy the "Relativity. Galilean Transformations. Einstein's Postulates and Newton's Laws" physics tutorial? People who liked the "Relativity. Galilean Transformations. Einstein's Postulates and Newton's Laws" tutorial found the following resources useful:

  1. Physics tutorial Feedback. Helps other - Leave a rating for this tutorial (see below)
  2. Relativity Revision Notes: Relativity. Galilean Transformations. Einstein's Postulates and Newton's Laws. Print the notes so you can revise the key points covered in the physics tutorial for Relativity. Galilean Transformations. Einstein's Postulates and Newton's Laws
  3. Relativity Practice Questions: Relativity. Galilean Transformations. Einstein's Postulates and Newton's Laws. Test and improve your knowledge of Relativity. Galilean Transformations. Einstein's Postulates and Newton's Laws with example questins and answers
  4. Check your calculations for Relativity questions with our excellent Relativity calculators which contain full equations and calculations clearly displayed line by line. See the Relativity Calculators by iCalculator™ below.
  5. Continuing learning relativity - read our next physics tutorial: Classical Principle of Relativity

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