Relativity Project

thingiverse

These models showcase student work on special relativity in a multivariable calculus class project. The first, lightcone.stl, presents a schematic model of a light cone with two spatial dimensions plus time, illustrating the space-time restrictions under the speed limit of light. One can reach these points only if they travel at or below the speed of light. The second example offers a possible solution to the Ehrenfest Paradox: what happens when attempting to spin a solid disk at relativistic speeds? The paradox arises from the fact that the outside of the disk will contract more due to Lorentz contraction than its center. Students proposed that if the disk curled upward, it could reduce its circumference at the edge, providing a possible resolution. Their calculations and an interactive widget can be found here, along with the reldisk.stl model illustrating a spinning disk and how it might curl when spun fast enough.