Relativity Q: Dick & Jane Twins - Signals Received?

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Homework Help Overview

The problem involves the scenario of twins, Dick and Jane, where Dick travels at a relativistic speed to a star 20 light-years away while Jane remains on Earth. The discussion centers around the signals they send and receive during this journey, raising questions about the effects of relativity on their observations.

Discussion Character

  • Exploratory, Assumption checking

Approaches and Questions Raised

  • Participants discuss the reference frames of Dick and Jane, questioning whether the distance to the star is measured from Jane's or Dick's perspective. They also raise points about the timing of signal counting and whether both will count the same number of signals.

Discussion Status

The discussion is ongoing, with participants exploring different interpretations of the problem. Some questions have been raised about the assumptions underlying the scenario, but no consensus has been reached regarding the specifics of the signal counting.

Contextual Notes

There is uncertainty regarding the reference frames and how they affect the counting of signals, which may influence the understanding of the problem. The nature of the signals and the timing of their reception are also under consideration.

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How would you make the first move in this type of question:

Dick and Jane are twins. Dick goes off on a space voyage at a speed of 0.8c to a star 20 light-years away, while Jane stays behind on Earth. Dick and Jane each send out a radio signal once a year while Dick is away. How many signals does Dick receive? How many does Jane receive?
 
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First off, is the star 20 light years away according to Jane's reference frame or Dick's? Secondly, after how long and according to whose frame do they count up the signals? Anyway, they should both count the same number of signals.
 
hmm... you're right~
wow! you ask some pretty good questions~
 
@@a
that's getting hard to analyze...
 

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