Time Is Relative: What Does It Mean?

[Helicobacter]

Hi,

my old physics teacher once told me that time is relative. But what does "time is relative" actually mean? Does time depend on something?

Thanks in advance!

 

[my_wan]

Hi,
my old physics teacher once told me that time is relative. But what does "time is relative" actually mean? Does time depend on something?
Thanks in advance!

Yes it depends on your relative motion, your relative speed in relation to another clock (SR special relativity). Relative time can also depend on your depth in a garavitational field in ralation to another clock (GR - general relativity).

Given enough relative speed, speed of light being the limit, you can actually come back from a trip younger than your own kids. That doen't mean that you age slower, time itself was slower in comparison.

 

[Entropia]

"Time is relative" means that the passage of time can vary depending on factors such as gravity and velocity. This concept was famously introduced by Albert Einstein in his theory of relativity. Essentially, time is not fixed and can be experienced differently by different observers. This is because time is intertwined with space and can be affected by the curvature of space-time.

To give an example, imagine two people on a train moving at different speeds. To the person on the faster-moving train, time will appear to be passing slower than it would to the person on the slower-moving train. This is because the faster the speed, the more time and space are distorted.

In everyday life, we don't notice these effects as they are only significant at very high speeds or in the presence of massive objects. But it is important to understand that time is not a constant and can be influenced by various factors. This concept has revolutionized our understanding of the universe and has been confirmed by countless experiments and observations.

I hope this helps to clarify the concept of relative time. It's a fascinating and complex topic, and I encourage you to continue exploring and learning about it. Thank you for your question!