Hypothetical implication of Lorentz contraction

In summary, the conversation discusses the possibility of a truck, measuring 5ft tall when stationary, passing under a 4ft barrier by accelerating towards the speed of light. It is determined that while there is a longitudinal contraction, there is no contraction in the transverse direction, so the truck would remain 5ft tall in all reference frames. The conversation also mentions the Thin Man and the Grid Paradox, which questions why the contracted truck does not fall into a pothole. Ultimately, it is concluded that length only contracts in the direction parallel to the motion, not perpendicular to it, and the height of the truck would remain unchanged in the road frame.
  • #1
P Brane
2
0
Would it be possible for a truck, measuring 5ft tall when stationary, to pass under a 4ft barrier by accelerating towards the speed of light?

If so what would a spectator see if standing next to the barrier, would the spectator see the truck shrink? What would you see of the barrier from the trucks frame of reference, would the barrier seem to grow?

Sorry if my question appears unclear I couldn't think of another way to explain it. Thank you in advance for reading/attempting to answer the question.
 
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  • #2
There is no contraction in the transverse direction, so a five-foot tall truck will remain five feet tall in all reference frames.

There is a longitudinal contraction, and the longitudinal version of this asks why the contracted truck does not fall into a pothole. This is called the Thin Man and the Grid Paradox. See here.
 
  • #3
P Brane said:
Would it be possible for a truck, measuring 5ft tall when stationary, to pass under a 4ft barrier by accelerating towards the speed of light?
Length contracts only in the direction parallel to the motion, not perpendicular to it. The height of the truck would remain unchanged in the road frame.
 
  • #4
Thank you, that helped a lot. Do I now need to close the thread?
 

Related to Hypothetical implication of Lorentz contraction

1. What is Lorentz contraction?

Lorentz contraction is a concept in Einstein's theory of relativity that describes the phenomenon of objects appearing shorter in the direction of their motion relative to an observer. It is a consequence of time dilation and is a fundamental aspect of the theory of relativity.

2. How does Lorentz contraction impact the length of an object?

Lorentz contraction states that an object will appear shorter in the direction of its motion when observed by an outside observer. This means that the length of the object will appear to decrease as its velocity increases. However, this contraction only occurs relative to the observer and does not actually change the physical length of the object.

3. Can Lorentz contraction be observed in everyday life?

Yes, Lorentz contraction has been observed in various experiments, such as the famous Muon experiment, where high-speed muons were found to have a longer lifespan due to time dilation and shorter length due to Lorentz contraction. However, the effects of Lorentz contraction are only noticeable at very high speeds, close to the speed of light.

4. What implications does Lorentz contraction have on space and time?

Lorentz contraction is a consequence of the theory of relativity, which states that space and time are not absolute but are relative to the observer's frame of reference. This means that space and time can appear differently to different observers depending on their relative motion.

5. How does Lorentz contraction impact the concept of simultaneity?

Lorentz contraction, along with time dilation, leads to the concept of relativity of simultaneity, which states that events that are simultaneous for one observer may not be simultaneous for another observer in a different frame of reference. This is because the concept of "now" is relative and dependent on the observer's frame of reference.

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