Special Relativity: A Heuristic Approach

Special Relativity: A Heuristic Approach provides a qualitative exposition of relativity theory on the basis of the constancy of the speed of light. Using Einstein's signal velocity as the defining idea for the notion of simultaneity and the fact that the speed of light is independent of the motion of its source, chapters delve into a qualitative exposition of the relativity of time and length, discuss the time dilation formula using the standard light clock, explore the Minkowski four-dimensional space-time distance based on how the time dilation formula is derived, and define the components of the two-dimensional space-time velocity, amongst other topics.

Author Biography: Dr. Sadri Hassani is an Adjunct Professor of physics at the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign, Urbana, IL, USA, and a Professor Emeritus at Illinois State University, Normal, IL, USA. With over 30 years' experience in teaching various physics courses, he is the author of several books at the introductory, intermediate, and advanced undergraduate and graduate levels.

1. Qualitative Relativity 2. Relativity of Time and Space 3. Lorentz Transformation 4. Spacetime Geometry 5. Spacetime Momentum 6. Relativity in Four Dimensions 7. Relativistic Photography 8. Relativistic Interactions 9. Interstellar Travel 10. A Painless Introduction to Tensors 11. Relativistic Electrodynamics 12. Early Universe A. Maxwell's Equations B. Derivation of 4D Lorentz Transformation C. Relativistic Photography Formulas