- #1
Lucy Yeats
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I've posted on this forum before and carefully read the answers, but I'm still confused... Also, I'm familiar with the twin paradox, and understand that acceleration is the reason the twins' frames aren't symmetrical.
Question 1: Is it okay for an observer to view HIS OWN reference frame as the moving one? For example, suppose an observer is on a planet with speed -0.6c to the right, and a rocket is at rest relative to him. The prime frame is the rocket frame. Suppose there is a time interval of one hour on the planet. I want to find the time interval in hours on the rocket's clock.
t'=γ(t-βx)=1.25(1-0.36)=0.8 This is correct, isn't it?
Question 2: But it's equally valid to see the rocket as moving at 0.6c to the right and the planet as at rest. Once again, suppose there is a time interval of one hour on the planet. I want to find the time interval in hours on the rocket's clock. But this time I get t'=γ(t-βx)=1.25 since Δx=0. How come I get these two different answers?
Thanks in advance for answering, as I'm sure this is a very easy question for most of you- I've just met special relativity so I'm very confused!
Question 1: Is it okay for an observer to view HIS OWN reference frame as the moving one? For example, suppose an observer is on a planet with speed -0.6c to the right, and a rocket is at rest relative to him. The prime frame is the rocket frame. Suppose there is a time interval of one hour on the planet. I want to find the time interval in hours on the rocket's clock.
t'=γ(t-βx)=1.25(1-0.36)=0.8 This is correct, isn't it?
Question 2: But it's equally valid to see the rocket as moving at 0.6c to the right and the planet as at rest. Once again, suppose there is a time interval of one hour on the planet. I want to find the time interval in hours on the rocket's clock. But this time I get t'=γ(t-βx)=1.25 since Δx=0. How come I get these two different answers?
Thanks in advance for answering, as I'm sure this is a very easy question for most of you- I've just met special relativity so I'm very confused!