Time Dilation (1 Viewer)

[KFunk]

I'll give an example (using a physics question that showed the conflict quite well).

Imagine a pole vaulter with a 5m pole who can run at 0.7c. He runs at a shed that is 4m long. An observer would see a point where he fitsthe pole into the shed due to the pole's length contraction. Relative the the pole vaulter, the shed contracts and he can't fit!

"They are both right from their frame of refrence." But they can't both be right. We end up with a paradox.

 

[zeropoint]

Try and make two frames of reference agree on the length of an object and see what happens .

You get a Galilean space-time. This is, however, an inaccurate depiction of the space-time which we occupy.

I'll give an example (using a physics question that showed the conflict quite well).

Imagine a pole vaulter with a 5m pole who can run at 0.7c. He runs at a shed that is 4m long. An observer would see a point where he fitsthe pole into the shed due to the pole's length contraction. Relative the the pole vaulter, the shed contracts and he can't fit!

"They are both right from their frame of refrence." But they can't both be right. We end up with a paradox.

There is no such thing as a rigid body in special relativity. There is no paradox.

 

[KFunk]

There is no such thing as a rigid body in special relativity.

Hmm, that sure slays that paradox quite easily.

 

[scoby_2000]

i thought that the width and height of an object does not change due to the fact that those are at right angles to the force being exerted.....if something is moving up at the speed of light then the width and height will change.....

am i wrong? :S

 

[Jaydels]

firstly, it is impossible to accelerate anything to the speed of light, so it can only travel at speeds approaching the speed of light. The length of the object will contract only in the direction that it is travelling, so height and width remain the same

 

[Dash]

Note:

The length of the object will contract only in the direction that it is travelling, so height and width remain the same

Also...

What does it mean when it says "observers in relative motion" Does that mean the observers are travelling at the same speed?

Quite simply, it means in a different frame of reference...

 

[duke3d59]

ok we can establish the fact that time and space r relative right so time dilation is the slowing down of events as observed from a reference frame in relative motion

 

[M-turkey]

Its not like you'll be able to see an object travelling at the speed of light anyways.

 

[velox]

its as it approaches the speed of light. An object can not travel at the speed of light.

 

[M-turkey]

Unless it has a rest mass of zero

 

[velox]

which isnt possible.

 

[M-turkey]

Gravitrons are massless.

And photons have to have a rest mass of zero as they are light.

 

[MuffinMan]

and how does time dialation work lol i've always wondered how u can spend 10 days on an object close to the speed of light and on earth many years pass...so if ure on earth it takes super long to come back while if ure on the spaceship it does not seem so long