Dynamics and Relativity

Dynamics and Relativity provides undergraduates in physics with an unusually accessible introduction to special relativity by emphasizing the connections between relativity and classical mechanics. The book begins by developing classical mechanics in a form that the author calls "Galilean Relativity," which emphasizes frames of reference. The author shows how a problem formulated in one frame of reference can then solved in another where the problem takes a simpler form. After applying this strategy to a number of classical problems, the author discusses the limitations of Galilean Relativity, particularly for handling Maxwell's equations, and then proceeds to develop Special Relativity while drawing extensively on the groundwork from the previous chapters. The book stresses conservation laws throughout and includes a final chapter that briefly outlines General Relativity.