Randy Harris has published a wonderful review of classical physics online.  As we proceed with our investigation of modern physics, you'll constantly be confronted with how the realms of the very fast, and the very small, don't behave according to the same laws as you have learned thus far in your physics and engineering classes.  Of particular importance to understand from classical physics are the conservation laws of energy, momentum, and angular momentum, as you'll see them again often - in different forms - in our class.

Please scan this review; don't worry too much if you don't remember some of the specifics, and focus instead on whether Harris' description helps you understand the physics you know.  Post in the HW 1 discussion area one particular explanation, sentence, or section that you found was useful to you, or that especially made sense.  Copy the section in your post, and share what you thought about it and why.

What do you know about relativity already?  What do your friends and/or family and/or co-workers know?  Ask at least two other people you know to respond to the following quick questions, and report what you - and they - think.  Do you/they agree?  Or disagree?

1. Relativity deals with things that move very fast, or things that are extremely massive (creating very large gravitational fields.)
    
2. Relativity does not have any real-life applications that actually affect us in our daily lives today.
    
3. Einstein received the Nobel Prize for his Theory of Relativity.
    
4. Relativity remains a theory, because its predictions like Time Dilation (where moving clocks "tick slower") haven't yet been proven.   But as we develop spacecraft that could move much faster, we have a chance to verify the theory.

Answers to the questions are here - but don't peek!  Answer them first yourself! 

Unlike on-campus classes, where you would attend lectures, an online class can be quite different. Here we'll use the power of the web to help you learn the material, and for our subjects of relativity and quantum mechanics, there are loads of great resources to consider!

Access one of the following online resources and post a short review (at least 250 words - a couple of paragraphs is a good target).  What *specifically* did you like about the resource?  Would you recommend others in the class use it as well?  Note that you should choose a resource NOT already reviewed by someone else in the class!  So check Blackboard first, and see what has already been claimed.  If you post a review of a resource already featured by another student, you won't receive credit, and will be asked to select another from the list.

Earbot.com (2007, May 5) Simultaneity: Albert Einstein and the Theory of Relativity. YouTube. Accessed 1/19/09 from http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wteiuxyqtoM&feature=related.

Einstein, Albert.(1920) Relativity: The Special and General Theory. New York: Henry Holt. Translated by Robert Lawson. Published online by Bartleby.com, 2000.Accessed 1/19/09 from www.bartleby.com/173/. (This is a reprint of a book by Einstein about his theory, originally written in German, and translated.)

Muller, R. (2007, Aug 20) Physics 10 Lecture 22: Relativity. From Physics 10: Physics for Future Presidents. Accessed 1/19/09 from http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nNgzqpKZwhE

Prosper, H. (1998) Introduction to General Relativity. University of Florida. Accessed 1/19/09 from http://www.physics.fsu.edu/Courses/Spring98/AST3033/Relativity/GeneralRelativity.htm .

Salgado, R. (2001)) The Light Cone.  University of Syracus. http://physics.syr.edu/courses/modules/LIGHTCONE/events.html

Susskind, L.(2009, Apr 14) Relativity. Stanford University Lecture Series.  YouTube.Accessed 1/19/09 from http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BAurgxtOdxY&feature=PlayList&p=CCD6C043FEC59772&index=0

Tegmark, M. (2006) 8.033 Relativity. MIT Open CourseWare. Accessed 1/19/09 from http://ocw.mit.edu/OcwWeb/Physics/8-033Fall-2006/LectureNotes/index.htm (click on the lecture notes from the main course page to see powerpoints)

The Elegant Universe (2007, Jan 7) Einstein's Relativity. YouTube http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tpbGuuGosAY&feature=related

Vincent, D.(2004) Special Relativity. University of Winnipeg. Accessed 1/19/09 from http://io.uwinnipeg.ca/~vincent/4500.6-001/Cosmology/SpecialRelativity.htm