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Basic Concepts in Physics pp 143–166Cite as

Special Theory of Relativity

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Part of the book series: Undergraduate Lecture Notes in Physics ((ULNP))

Abstract

The name of Einstein is mainly associated with the theory of relativity. However, we owe him much other work that also significantly influenced the evolution of physics throughout the twentieth century. His theoretical investigation of Brownian motion served as the basis for the experimental work done by Jean Perrin (1870–1942) to determine precisely Avogadro’s number. This in turn provided definite evidence in favour of the Maxwell–Boltzmann kinetic theory.

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Literature

  1. E.F. Taylor, J.A. Wheeler, Spacetime Physics (W.H. Freeman and Co., San Francisco, 1966). An excellent introductory book for special relativity

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  2. C. Kittel, C. Knight, M.A. Ruderman, Mechanics, The Berkeley Physics Course (McGraw-Hill, New York, 1973). Contains a very good introduction to special relativity

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  3. L.D. Landau, E.M. Lifschitz, The Classical Theory of Fields (Pergamon, Oxford, 1975). The part of this book devoted to the electromagnetic field is a masterpiece. An excellent introduction to special relativity at an advanced level

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  4. R. Penrose, The Emperor’s New Mind (Penguin Books, New York, 1991). This interesting and deep essay discussed the compatibility between special relativity and quantum mechanics, as well as other topics

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Author information

Authors and Affiliations

  1. Department of Physics, University of Helsinki, Helsinki, Finland

    Masud Chaichian & Anca Tureanu

  2. Department of Theoretical Physics, ICIMAF, La Habana, Cuba

    Hugo Perez Rojas

Authors
  1. Masud Chaichian
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  2. Hugo Perez Rojas
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  3. Anca Tureanu
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© 2014 Springer-Verlag Berlin Heidelberg

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Chaichian, M., Rojas, H.P., Tureanu, A. (2014). Special Theory of Relativity. In: Basic Concepts in Physics. Undergraduate Lecture Notes in Physics. Springer, Berlin, Heidelberg. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-642-19598-3_5

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-642-19598-3_5

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  • Publisher Name: Springer, Berlin, Heidelberg

  • Print ISBN: 978-3-642-19597-6

  • Online ISBN: 978-3-642-19598-3

  • eBook Packages: Physics and AstronomyPhysics and Astronomy (R0)

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