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World Science Scholars
27.2 Lorentz Transformation: As an Exotic Rotation
problems
Problem

Module 27: Lorentz Transformation: As an Exotic Rotation—Problem 1

In this problem, you will derive another simplifying feature of working with the rapidity, ϕ\phi instead of the velocity vv. It relies on simple hyperbolic trigonometric identities that mirror those of the ordinary trig functions.

  1. 1. Question

    Consider the quantity sinh(ϕ1)cosh(ϕ2)+cosh(ϕ1)sinh(ϕ2)\sinh (\phi_1)\cosh (\phi_2) + \cosh (\phi_1)\sinh (\phi_2). By expressing each term as an exponential (sinh(ϕ)=(eϕeϕ)/2\sinh (\phi)=(e^{\phi} - e^{-\phi})/2, cosh(ϕ)=(eϕ+eϕ)/2\cosh (\phi)=(e^{\phi} + e^{-\phi})/2), simplify the quantity to one of the following four results.

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  2. 2. Question

    Consider the quantity cosh(ϕ1)cosh(ϕ2)+sinh(ϕ1)sinh(ϕ2)\cosh (\phi_1)\cosh (\phi_2) + \sinh (\phi_1)\sinh (\phi_2). By expressing each term as an exponential, simplify the quantity to one of the following four results.

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  3. 3. Question

    Consider tanh(ϕ1+ϕ2)=sinh(ϕ1+ϕ2)cosh(ϕ1+ϕ2)\tanh (\phi_1 + \phi_2)={\sinh (\phi_1 + \phi_2) \over \cosh (\phi_1 + \phi_2)}. Using the results of the previous parts of this problem, express this in terms of hyperbolic trigonometric functions that depend only on ϕ1\phi_1 or ϕ2\phi_2 separately.

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  4. 4. Question

    Now for physics: If a rocket is moving northward with rapidity ϕv\phi_v relative to you, and it fires a projectile in the northward direction with rapidity ϕw\phi_w (relative to the rocket), what is the rapidity of the projectile relative to you?

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