Newbie question about time dilation

[salamander3x]

I read about this experiment:

"In 1971, scientists used these clocks to test Einstein's ideas. One atomic clock was set up on the ground, while another was sent around the world on a jet traveling at 600 mph. When the clock flown around the world returned to the spot where the other clock was, it was behind by a few billionths of a second."

and I just wanted to know if the speed reduce the frequency to feed the clock counter or it have nothing to do with that.

 

[HallsofIvy]

Well, that is the whole point of the experiment! A 'clock' moving at speed v will run slower that a stationary clock by a factor of $\sqrt{1- \frac{v^2}{c^2}}$. I put 'clock' in quotes because any sort of regular motion or pulse that can be used to measure time (a pendulum, atomic disintegration, your pulse) will run slow as seen from from a "stationary" frame of reference. In that sense, time has slowed.

 

[Entropia]

Great question! The speed of the jet does not directly affect the frequency of the atomic clock. Instead, it is the relative motion between the two clocks that causes the time dilation effect. According to Einstein's theory of relativity, time moves slower for objects in motion compared to objects at rest. In this experiment, the clock on the jet was moving at a high speed relative to the clock on the ground, causing it to experience a slower passage of time. This is why it was behind by a few billionths of a second when it returned to the ground clock. So, it is not the speed itself that affects the clock's frequency, but rather the relative motion. I hope this helps clarify the concept of time dilation for you!