How relativity explains electromagnetism

The Theory of Special Relativity has weird consequences that go against our daily experience. But did it manage to explain electromagnetism? Check the video link, discuss in groups and answer these questions.

1. Watch the video without captions. Take notes of all the expressions that you did not understand.

2. Watch the video for a second time, with captions activated. Review the notes taken in the previous activity and discuss any doubts that remain after the second watching.

3. Explain what is happening at minute 0:39. How fast is Moving Derek travelling?

4. Explain this interaction at minute 0:53:

Derek: “You are looking slim!”

Moving Derek: “Only in your frame of reference”

5. Imagine that the moving particle of the video is an electron instead of a proton. Draw and explain what would happen from the reference frame of the wire and from the reference frame of the electron.

When Einstein first presented his theory, despite being able to explain successfully how the laws of electromagnetism apply to moving bodies, it was widely rejected by the scientific community. Not only did the consequences of the theory seemed highly implausible, the theory also lacked experimental confirmation.

6. Individual task: A friend of yours is convinced that the Theory of Special Relativity cannot be true. According to him: “How can time change when we are moving? It makes no sense; time must be the same for everyone. All that about relativity is scientific babbling”. For the next lesson, find an experiment or everyday application of the special relativity and write a short paragraph to try to convince your friend of the opposite.