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Peterdevis
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My question is rather simple:
Are there experiments where they have measured length contractions?
Are there experiments where they have measured length contractions?
A spherical bunch of particles coming at you looks like a flattened ellipsoid due to relativistic shortening
A spherical bunch of particles coming at you looks like a flattened ellipsoid due to relativistic shortening
In the reference frame of the dedector/source the distance between the two photons is zero.
I'd say that in the frame of the detector the distance between the photons is just ct
Originally posted by Peterdevis
so,why is there no length contraction between two photons (at a distence ct) traveling at light speed, and for a bunch of particles there is a length contraction?
Originally posted by Peterdevis
My question is rather simple:
Are there experiments where they have measured length contractions?
The distance ct is the distance as measured from the frame by which the photons are moving, so it is the length-contracted distance
Peterdevis, I do not understand the experiment or your explanation of it. Is the photodetector at rest with respect to the light source?
Length contraction is a phenomenon described by the theory of relativity in which an object's length appears shortened in the direction of its motion relative to an observer. This occurs when an object is moving at high speeds, approaching the speed of light.
Length contraction affects the measurement of an object's length by making it appear shorter to an observer in motion. This is due to the fact that the closer an object gets to the speed of light, the more its length appears shortened relative to an observer at rest.
One example of a length contraction experiment is the muon experiment, in which high-energy muons are observed to have a longer lifespan when moving at high speeds due to length contraction. Another example is the famous "twin paradox" in which one twin travels at high speeds, experiencing length contraction, while the other twin remains at rest.
Length contraction is only noticeable at speeds approaching the speed of light, so it is not observable in our daily lives. However, it has been confirmed through various experiments and is an important concept in modern physics.
Length contraction and time dilation are both consequences of the theory of relativity. They are related in that they both occur at high speeds, but while length contraction affects an object's length, time dilation affects the rate at which time passes for that object. Both concepts are necessary for a complete understanding of the effects of motion on physical objects.