8.20 Introduction to Special Relativity
problem sets outline general info staff schedule grades links


4 Feb 08
Last Friday you took the final exam (solutions). In general I thought you performed well on this lengthy and nontrivial exam. Your exam grades are available at the link above. Your letter grades will come to you through the MIT Registrar. Thanks for your participation in this course, and best wishes for an enjoyable and productive spring semester. - Bruce Knuteson

30 Jan 08
Pset #4 is due at 5pm today (Wednesday). Today's lecture will be held in 4-270, since our usual room is being used for other purposes. The lecture will present a review and summary of our coverage of Special Relativity. Final exam comments: There will be a final exam this Friday (Feb 1) from 2:30-5:00pm in room 4-370. The final exam will cover lecture material up to yesterday (Tuesday), with a few points (<5) devoted to a couple of basic questions about General Relativity to be covered in lecture on Thursday and Friday. You are encouraged to bring a calculator to the final exam. The exam will be closed book, but you may bring one (and only one) sheet of paper (front and back, if you like) with notes that you can refer to during the exam. Sample final exams from previous years are provided at the links below. You will be given a formula sheet similar to the formula sheets provided in these previous exams. You should expect the final exam to be more similar in length to the 2005 final than the final of 2003.

28 Jan 08
In Pset #4 Problem 16(a), (1+K/2mc^2) should be (1+K/mc^2).

25 Jan 08
In preparing for the final exam, you may wish to consult the 1993 final exam (solutions), the 2003 final exam (no solutions), and the 2005 final exam (solutions, and frequent mistakes). The final you will take will likely be similar in style, level, and content to the 2003 and 2005 examples. Solutions to Pset #3 have been posted. Pset #4 has been posted.

23 Jan 08
Yesterday evening you took a midterm exam, and for the most part did a good job of determining the correct solutions. Your grades have been posted, and are accessible through the "grades" link above. Your exams will be handed back tomorrow (Thursday) in class. In general I was quite pleased with your performance on this midterm. In terms of letter grades, roughly speaking A=85-100, B=70-85, C=55-70. If you scored below 55, please see me.

19 Jan 08
Solutions to Pset #2 have been posted. Pset #3 has been posted, and is due next Friday Jan 25.

18 Jan 08
Recall that Pset #2 is due at 5pm today (Friday). There will be no lecture this coming Monday (Jan 21) in observance of the Martin Luther King holiday. Midterm exam comments: There will be a midterm exam next Tuesday (Jan 22) from 7:30-9:30pm in room 4-370. You are encouraged to bring a calculator. The exam will be closed book, but you may bring one (and only one) sheet of paper (front and back, if you like) with notes that you can refer to during the exam. The midterm exam will be similar in content and style to midterm exams given in 2003 (solutions) and 2005 (solutions), which you are encouraged to consult. You will be given a formula sheet similar to the formula sheets provided in these previous exams. You should expect the midterm exam to be more similar in length to the 2005 midterm than the midterm of 2003.

15 Jan 08
The solutions to Pset #1 have been posted.

14 Jan 08
Please email me as soon as possible if you have a conflict with the midterm exam, scheduled for next Tuesday evening as described on the general info link above.

13 Jan 08
Pset #2 has just been posted.

10 Jan 08
On Pset #1, problem #16(c), z should of course be x.

7 Jan 08
Problem Set #1 has just been posted. Please note that while consulting with your classmates as you work these problems is encouraged, consulting solutions from past years or the web is an academic offense in this course.

To encourage you to work on these problems on your own before attending recitation sessions, there will not be a recitation session tomorrow (Tuesday Jan 8). The first recitation session, led by Daniel Nagaj, will be held on Thursday Jan 10, at the location and times noted at the "general info" link above.

4 Jan 08
This page contains day-by-day news for this course. Problem Set #1 will be posted by Monday evening. Looking forward to seeing you in class in 4-370 on Monday, January 7.

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