Understanding Time Dilation: Help for Middle Schoolers

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In summary, the speed of light is constant and it is the same for all observers. If an object travels at the speed of light, time for that object will stop. However, for observers who are not moving at that speed, time will continue normally. This means that if an object were to travel at the speed of light and then stop, it would have aged less than the rest of the universe, making it appear to be in the future. This is because the object has used all of its motion in the spatial dimensions and none in the time dimension, whereas everything else in the universe has used some motion in both.
  • #1
monkeysk8er
alright, I am only in middle school and not that smart so don't laugh at my question.


[?] I read some other response to a post about a worm hole saying that if you reach the speed of light time will stop. But wouldn't that mean that only time for you would stop. Saying that everything around you would be going normal speed because the universe doesn't revolve around how fast YOUR going. anyway saying that you could get close to the speed of light where time would be going slower than the surroundings and there was some way to just stop. wouldn't that mean that when you did stop you would end up way ahead in time from when you started because all of the surrounding would be going way faster than you? I am confused! someone help me understand what would happen! [?]
 
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  • #2
alright, I am only in middle school and not that smart so don't laugh at my question.

I'm in middle school too!

I read some other response to a post about a worm hole saying that if you reach the speed of light time will stop. But wouldn't that mean that only time for you would stop.

For a you, yes. So a photon from the big bang is still the same 'age' as it was then now.

Saying that everything around you would be going normal speed because the universe doesn't revolve around how fast YOUR going. anyway saying that you could get close to the speed of light where time would be going slower than the surroundings and there was some way to just stop. wouldn't that mean that when you did stop you would end up way ahead in time from when you started because all of the surrounding would be going way faster than you? I am confused! someone help me understand what would happen!

Um, can you say that again? I don't understand what you're trying to ask.
 
  • #3
sorry 4 the confusion

what i was asking is...

if you could go almost the speed of light and time would go slower for then STOP wouldn't you be farther into time (the future) because while your were going slow the rest of the universe was still going its normal speed
 
  • #4
The rest of the universe has speeds that are all relative. The expanding of the universe on the other hand is apparently c (c is a constant that specifies the speed of light, which is ~186,000mi/sec).

Well, if you're traveling at the speed of light, time does not flow, on account of the fact that you are using all your energy to travel in 3D space, and not the usual 4D space. So, if you stop, you would have not aged or anything, so you'd be in the future.
Personally, I don't believe saying you've arrived in the future is right; you didn't skip your whole life and arrived in the future. You just traveled so fast that time didn't flow for you.

I should also like to point out that light is not relative, and is the same for all observers.

see, it isn't that complicated!
 
  • #5
wouldnt that mean that when you did stop you would end up way ahead in time from when you started because all of the surrounding would be going way faster than you?
Yes, that's pretty close. Say you were to leave Earth in a spaceship and travel to alpha cenaturi, 4 light years away, and travel at 90% the speed of light.
v = .90 x 3x108 meters/second = 2.7x108 m/s.
γ for this velocity is:
γ = 1/(1-(v/c)2)1/2 = 2.2942
the time on the Earth while crew to go to apha centauri is v=d/t => to=d/v = (4light years * 9.461x1015m/ly)/(2.7E8m/s) = 1.4016x108seconds or 4.44 years.
t = to/γ = 1.94 years.
so after traveling for 1.94 years the travellers will be in a universe where the Earth is 4.44 years older. If they were to make a round trip of it, they would age about 4 years while the Earth they returned to would be 8.8 years older.
 
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  • #6
Right, so if ure, hypothetically, traveling at c, and you travel a round trip of 10 light years, the people on Earth will have aged 10 years and their life will have changed by 10 years, but to you it would be as if nothing had happened, and you are still the same age as when u left.
 
  • #7
I'll answer this in a bit less technical terms than others, since you're in middle school.

1. If you and your twin, who were born at the same time, stand next to each other on your lawn, and then you fly off into space at, let's say half the speed of light, and you take a tour around some planets, and come back, your twin will be ALOT older than you. So yes, if you go "fast" (speed of light speeds) and then stop, the things you once knew will be a lot older.

2. If you travel at the speed of light exactly, time does stop. Let me give you an awesome explanation from the book THE ELEGANT UNIVERSE...

There are 4 dimensions. An object, a mass, has a given amount of motion it can exhibit within these 4 dimensions combined. It can use them in any of the dimensions it chooses, but it only has a certain amount to use. Let's say you have 100 units of motion you can use.

If you're sitting still, in a chair, you're not using any motion in the 3 spatial dimensions. Thus all 100 units are in the time dimensions, and so you are moving through time at the maximum motion.

But, let's say you travel half the speed of light, flying around the solar system. Then you are using 50 units in the spatial dimension (because the 100 units equal the "motion" of light or speed of light), so you are now only using 50 units in the time dimension. Thus you are moving through time at half the motion, or speed. And thus you will "age" half as fast.

So in conclusion if you used all 100 units in the spatial dimension, meaning you are traveling exactly at the speed of light, none of your units are in the time dimensions, and so you are not aging at all whatsoever.

This is why the light that first exited the big bang, is still the same age it is now. It's always gone at 100 units, and thus has never aged at all!

Let me know if that helps!

Great that you're thinking about these things at such a young age!
 
  • #8
thanks everyone! i understand now!
 

What is time dilation?

Time dilation is the phenomenon where time appears to pass at different rates for two observers who are moving relative to each other. This is a key concept in Einstein's theory of relativity.

How does time dilation work?

Time dilation occurs because of the relationship between time and space. As an object moves faster through space, it experiences time at a slower rate. This means that time appears to pass slower for an object that is moving quickly compared to an object that is stationary.

What causes time dilation?

Time dilation is caused by the fact that the speed of light is constant and the laws of physics are the same for all observers. This means that the perception of time passing at different rates is relative to the observer's frame of reference.

What are some real-life examples of time dilation?

One example of time dilation is the effect it has on GPS satellites. These satellites are moving at high speeds in orbit around the Earth, so they experience time at a slower rate than clocks on the ground. This must be taken into account when calculating the timing signals used for GPS navigation.

How can I understand time dilation better?

One way to better understand time dilation is to think about it in terms of a moving train. If you are standing on a train platform and see a train moving past you at high speed, time appears to pass slower for the people on the train compared to you. This is because they are moving faster through space and therefore experiencing time at a slower rate.

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