Student understanding of time in special relativity: simultaneityand reference frames (Seto in a nutshell)
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From: Sam Wormley on 29 Jun 2010 19:51 > Student understanding of time in special relativity: > simultaneity and reference frames > Rachel E. Scherr, Peter S. Shaffer, and Stamatis Vokos > Department of Physics, University of Washington, Seattle, WA > This article reports on an investigation of student understanding of the concept of > time in special relativity. A series of research tasks are discussed that illustrate, > step-by-step, how student reasoning of fundamental concepts of relativity was > probed. The results indicate that after standard instruction students at all academic > levels have serious difficulties with the relativity of simultaneity and with the role > of observers in inertial reference frames. Evidence is presented that suggests > many students construct a conceptual framework in which the ideas of absolute > simultaneity and the relativity of simultaneity harmoniously co-exist. http://arxiv.org/pdf/physics/0207109 VII. CONCLUSION This investigation has identified widespread difficulties that students have with the definition of the time of an event and the role of intelligent observers. After instruction, more than 2/3 of physics undergraduates and 1/3 of graduate students in physics are unable to apply the construct of a reference frame in determining whether or not two events are simultaneous. Many students interpret the phrase �relativity of simultaneity� as implying that the simultaneity of events is determined by an observer on the basis of the reception of light signals. They often attribute the relativity of simultaneity to the difference in signal travel time for different observers. In this way, they reconcile statements of the relativity of simultaneity with a belief in absolute simultaneity and fail to confront the startling ideas of special relativity. |