What do people think about the conventional element of SR? Is the assumption that the one way speed of light is always the same (for any rf) justified (as opposed the the two way speed of light)?
Thanks everyone. Nugatory I must look into Maxwells equations :) Dalespam I think I was envisioning the unobservable type of mediums. Perhaps there is something none physical we can't comprehend. Is the em field everywhere? Sorry guys I think I just need to read more about the subject...
Many...
The theory of relativity makes an 'ether' superfluous, but does it challenge the existence of an 'Ether'. Could the ether be an electromagnetic field or some other unknowable? Or is space-time a kind of ether? Its hard to understand light or even probability waves without a medium in which...
Thats great, I think I may have been mistakenly contracting the length between planets in Peters reference frame. These graphs are great I'm going to look for some graph drawing software,
Thanks again
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This is great, thanks guys. One more thing, if we are working out times and distances according to Pauls rf, do we apply length contraction to the distance between the two (as if Peter had moved). Thanks to the FAQs I am getting the twin paradox, but I am not sure about this case whereby one...
Thanks Duck :) this is a great reply. Just as a follow up, if we synchronise three clocks, one at Pauls location, one at the planet and one in between (and they are all in the same rf as Peter), what will they read when Paul reaches the planet?
Hi Everyone,
I've managed to confuse myself with a mutilated thought experiment. A half twin paradox. Imagine a twin, Paul travels away from Earth at 8/10c while peter stays at home. Because of time dilation paul reaches a planet by his clock, in one year. Peter registers Pauls arrival at...
This is what I used to think but then, the returning twin is supposed to be younger when they meet back up. So if B suffers time dilation according to the reference frame of A, and A suffers time dilation according to the reference frame of B, can they really have different ages when they are...
Hi ghwellsjr, I was reading through some of the twin paradox pages and have discovered Doppler,
'Do you understand that looking at any activity while traveling away from it will make it appear to be in slow motion and while approaching, it will make it appear in fast motion? And do you know...
Dear ghwellsjr, thank you for depicting the scenario whereby the rod travels toward a beam of light (this is the one that really gets me). I just have a few questions (apologies). Regarding the method of measuring the speed of light, could the rod have synchronized clocks at the front and the...
Thanks Guys this is great, I'm going to print this out and read through! Dark horror I was wondering the second part. Ghwellsjr what you said about measuring the speed of light is invaluable..
Thanks again
Dear Forum members,
How does special relativity account for the fact that light retains its speed even for an object that is heading towards the light at say, almost the speed of light? I think that if I can understand this it will be a great help :smile:
Many thanks