What is Twin paradox: Definition and 318 Discussions

In physics, the twin paradox is a thought experiment in special relativity involving identical twins, one of whom makes a journey into space in a high-speed rocket and returns home to find that the twin who remained on Earth has aged more. This result appears puzzling because each twin sees the other twin as moving, and so, as a consequence of an incorrect and naive application of time dilation and the principle of relativity, each should paradoxically find the other to have aged less. However, this scenario can be resolved within the standard framework of special relativity: the travelling twin's trajectory involves two different inertial frames, one for the outbound journey and one for the inbound journey. Another way of looking at it is by realising that the travelling twin is undergoing acceleration, which makes him a non-inertial observer. In both views there is no symmetry between the spacetime paths of the twins. Therefore, the twin paradox is not a paradox in the sense of a logical contradiction.
Starting with Paul Langevin in 1911, there have been various explanations of this paradox. These explanations "can be grouped into those that focus on the effect of different standards of simultaneity in different frames, and those that designate the acceleration [experienced by the travelling twin] as the main reason". Max von Laue argued in 1913 that since the traveling twin must be in two separate inertial frames, one on the way out and another on the way back, this frame switch is the reason for the aging difference. Explanations put forth by Albert Einstein and Max Born invoked gravitational time dilation to explain the aging as a direct effect of acceleration. However, it has been proven that neither general relativity, nor even acceleration, are necessary to explain the effect, as the effect still applies to a theoretical observer that can invert the direction of motion instantly, maintaining constant speed all through the two phases of the trip. Such observer can be thought of as a pair of observers, one travelling away from the starting point and another travelling toward it, passing by each other where the turnaround point would be. At this moment, the clock reading in the first observer is transferred to the second one, both maintaining constant speed, with both trip times being added at the end of their journey.

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  1. A

    Understanding the Twin Paradox

    I'm a little confused on the twin paradox, and perhaps someone can clear my understanding up. You have a pair of twins that are born on some planet. One takes off in a rocket and travels at nearly the speed of light for 4 years relative to himself in the spacecraft . When he returns he is...
  2. B

    Exploring Einstein's Twin Paradox - Jack, Age 14

    could anyone give me some informatoin about einsteins threory of the twin paradox thanks Jack age 14
  3. R

    Exploring The Twin Paradox: Understanding Time & Motion

    I believe I understand the basics concerning the twin paradox. One twin leaves Earth on a near light speed round trip to a local star. On his return, he is younger than his twin due to the fact that time progresses more slowly the faster an object moves. Here are my points of confusion: If...
  4. M

    The Twin Paradox: Exploring Relativity's Puzzling Phenomenon

    why do we call the "twin paradox" a paradox in einstein's theory of relativity when we know exactly that the phenomena it describes is possible theoretically
  5. P

    Exploring the Twin Paradox: A 1,000 Word Essay

    Hey, I am instructed to argue a theory in a 1,000 word essay (can exceed by 250 words). Anyways, I am going to write about the Twin Paradox. I myself am not good with this theory, I just "understood" it, well yesterday when I got a few good answers in the Special & General Relativity forum...
  6. P

    What are the earliest online publications discussing the Twin Paradox?

    I was wondering if anyone knew of any works that can be accessed online that were published before they were put online that deal with the Twin paradox? Thanks. - to a mentor, sorry I forgot that this belongs in the SR thread.
  7. T

    Are Both Twins Equivalent in a Torus Universe with the Twin Paradox?

    Let say, the universe is a torus, a doughnut shape. Regarding the twin paradox, it is possible, that the moving twin is not in an accelerating frame, and can still come back to Earth to compare her time with the twin stationary on Earth. Then, both the twins are equivalent in a torus universe...
  8. E

    The Twin Paradox: Understanding Time Dilation in Space Travel

    As I'm involved in electronics industry due to my job requirements, I can't manage myself for Physics study. That is why I'm putting my questions here and hope you guys will try to answer them. Similarly, I will also try to answer some of your questions. Suppose A and B are two persons at...
  9. Garth

    The Twin Paradox Revisited: A Local Case Study

    There have been plenty of posts about the Twin Paradox. I don't think this version has been aired before except in my post #47 on the "Is Age Relative" thread. The Twin Paradox in a closed universe. If cosmic expansion slows down and reverses it would become hypothetically possible to...
  10. L

    Twin Paradox: Exploring SR, Acceleration, & Age

    My teacher told me that the Twin Paradox is actually a "paradox", it does not follow the rule of SR since it is not an "inertial system", the whole process involves acceleration and deacceration... What confuses me here is that what will happen to the twins? If SR doesn't apply here, will the...
  11. S

    Can someone explain the twin paradox to me

    A mother and her son share the same birthday. Then say a mother is 24 years old when her son was born. Then when she was 50 (her birthday, and his) she went on an intergalactic flight and a return trip all at constant speed at (12 / 13) c. She returns back to find that her son and her are the...
  12. S

    Why do people talk as if the Twin Paradox is problematic?

    I have read a few threads that talk about scientist having to “solve” the twin paradox as if there is a problem with it… What is it that I am misunderstanding? Since time and length contractions have been verified with multiple experiments then what is the problem with the twin paradox? At...
  13. G

    Einstein's Twin Paradox: Age Difference on a Rocket at the Speed of Light

    say the rocket had a engine, which produced to get the rocket to go at the speed of light but then it ran out of fuel and the rocket would slow down. what would be the age difference between them? say both were 24 one on Earth and one on return journey from a nearby star system.
  14. S

    Which bomb explodes first, and why?

    In the twin paradox, the twin who has gone into space and back at relativistic speeds supposedly comes back younger than the one who stayed on earth, the reason being that from the Earth twin's reference frame, time has gone more slowly for space twin. However, what has puzzled me is that from...
  15. J

    A twist on the twin paradox, help me figure this out

    [SOLVED] A twist on the twin paradox, help me figure this out! Relativity question: A twist on the twin paradox (that again??) Yes, that again. First, it took me a while to accept that the acceleration breaks the symmetry of special relativity and accounts for the difference in aging of...
  16. MathematicalPhysicist

    How Is Age Calculated in the Twin Paradox?

    what is the maths of this paradox? or more precisely how do you compute the age of the man who stays in Earth while the other one in the spacecraft has spent a year in the vehicle? thanks in advance.
  17. K

    Is the Twin Paradox Really Solved by Considering Acceleration?

    Hey Guys I'm kinda new to relativity. I've worked really hard to understand the idea but there are still some thought going in my head trying to convince me that it doesn't make sense or I don't understand it. I was wondering if you can help me. So here is my first problem regarding special...
  18. T

    Twin Paradox: Explain It to Me!

    Can anybody PLEASE explain the twin paradox to me? I just don't get it!
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