Inquiry question: How does the behaviour of light affect concepts of time, space and matter
Students:
● analyse and evaluate the evidence confirming or denying Einstein’s two postulates:
– the speed of light in a vacuum is an absolute constant
– all inertial frames of reference are equivalent (ACSPH131)
● investigate the evidence, from Einstein’s thought experiments and subsequent experimental validation, for time dilation 
and length contraction 
, and analyse quantitatively situations in which these are observed, for example:
– observations of cosmic-origin muons at the Earth’s surface
– atomic clocks (Hafele–Keating experiment)
– evidence from particle accelerators
– evidence from cosmological studies
● describe the consequences and applications of relativistic momentum with reference to:
–
– the limitation on the maximum velocity of a particle imposed by special relativity (ACSPH133)
● Use Einstein’s mass–energy equivalence relationship 𝐸 = 𝑚𝑐2 to calculate the energy released by processes in which mass is converted to energy, for example: (ACSPH134)
– production of energy by the sun
– particle–antiparticle interactions, eg positron–electron annihilation
– combustion of conventional fuel
Extract from Physics Stage 6 Syllabus © 2017 NSW Education Standards Authority (NESA)