← All apps Special Relativity Lab
Education
A light clock, animated from two different points of view at once: simple straight-up-and-down bouncing in the moving frame, and a longer diagonal zigzag in the stationary frame — with the dilated period derived directly from that longer path's length, not just plugged into a formula separately. Push the velocity slider toward the speed of light and watch the zigzag stretch dramatically longer. A real, cited muon-decay example grounds the whole thing in an actual measured phenomenon, not just an abstract thought experiment.
Open Special Relativity Lab (specialrelativity.apps.vtc.com)
About Special Relativity Lab
Special Relativity Lab is an interactive learning tool on VTC. A light clock, animated from two different points of view at once: simple straight-up-and-down bouncing in the moving frame, and a longer diagonal zigzag in the stationary frame — with the dilated period derived directly from that longer path's length, not just plugged into a formula separately. Push the velocity slider toward the speed of light and watch the zigzag stretch dramatically longer. A real, cited muon-decay example grounds the whole thing in an actual measured phenomenon, not just an abstract thought experiment. It runs in your web browser and is free to use, and suits students, teachers and self-learners.
Who it's for: Students, teachers and self-learners
Features
- A light clock, animated from two different points of view at once: simple straight-up-and-down bouncing in the moving frame
- A longer diagonal zigzag in the stationary frame
- With the dilated period derived directly from that longer path's length, not just plugged into a formula separately
- Push the velocity slider toward the speed of light and watch the zigzag stretch dramatically longer
- Free to use in your browser
Frequently asked questions
What is Special Relativity Lab on VTC?
Special Relativity Lab is an interactive learning tool on VTC. A light clock, animated from two different points of view at once: simple straight-up-and-down bouncing in the moving frame, and a longer diagonal zigzag in the stationary frame — with the dilated period derived directly from that longer path's length, not just plugged into a formula separately. Push the velocity slider toward the speed of light and watch the zigzag stretch dramatically longer.
Is Special Relativity Lab free to use?
Yes. The VTC app catalog lists Special Relativity Lab at no cost, and it runs in your web browser with nothing to install.
Who is Special Relativity Lab for and how do I start?
It is aimed at students, teachers and self-learners. To start, open https://specialrelativity.apps.vtc.com in your browser.