I'm currently teaching a short course on relativity for HS students. It is really just an elementary introduction to basic notions in SR and a bit on GR as well. We discuss time dilation, length contraction, relativistic velocity addition etc. Then we take a look at the geometric approach to relativity; many students feel that it does make good sense. Take a look at John Denker's documents on the geometric approach if you haven't done so already: e.g. <http://www.av8n.com/physics/odometer.pdf>.
Some students are very good at coming up with various counter-arguments and scenarios on relativity. Some questions are easily addressed and some may require consulting published papers. (I didn't take a single course on relativity when I studied physics ; my degree was about medical physics and electronics.) A particularly clever student devised a problem which is available here as a pdf document:<http://1drv.ms/1O1kUsD>. I know that there is a mistake in reasoning but I cannot pinpoint it. Also the student knows that the argument cannot possible be valid!
Help with the question would be appreciated.
Regards,
Antti Savinainen, PhD
Finland
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