Exploring the Reverse Twins Paradox: A Hypothetical Scenario

In summary, the Reverse Twins paradox is a thought experiment that involves two twins starting out in two ships moving at a high velocity relative to Earth. One twin then goes to Earth and back while the other maintains constant motion. The twin who changed direction and accelerated four times would end up younger according to the theory of relativity.
  • #1
Austin0
1,160
1
Reverse Twins paradox ?

This may have come up before but I haven't seen it and don't know the answer.

What if the twins started out in two ships moving together at relativistically significant velocity relative to earth. One of the twins then simply goes to Earth and back while the other maintains unform motion.

In this situation who ends up older?
 
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  • #2


Austin0 said:
This may have come up before but I haven't seen it and don't know the answer.

What if the twins started out in two ships moving together at relativistically significant velocity relative to earth. One of the twins then simply goes to Earth and back while the other maintains unform motion.

In this situation who ends up older?
The one that changed direction and accelerated four times.
 
Last edited:
  • #3


for the worldlines of two observers who meet up at two different events, the one which has a longer Euclidean length between these two events, will have a shorter Lorentzian length, thereby a shorter proper time and consequently the corresponding observer remains younger. draw a diagram.
 
  • #4


MeJennifer said:
The one that changed direction and accelerated four times.
Oops, I mean to say that the one that changed direction and accelerated four times is the younger not the older one. My apologies.
 

1. What is the Reverse Twins Paradox?

The Reverse Twins Paradox is a hypothetical scenario in physics that explores the concept of time dilation and the effects of traveling at near-light speeds. It is a variation of the original Twins Paradox, which is a thought experiment that demonstrates the concept of time dilation in the context of two identical twins.

2. How does the Reverse Twins Paradox differ from the original Twins Paradox?

In the original Twins Paradox, one twin stays on Earth while the other twin travels into space at high speeds and then returns. The traveling twin experiences time dilation and returns to Earth younger than the twin who stayed on Earth. In the Reverse Twins Paradox, the situation is reversed, with the traveling twin returning to Earth older than the twin who stayed on Earth. This is due to the effects of time dilation, which is the slowing down of time for objects traveling at high speeds.

3. Is the Reverse Twins Paradox possible in real life?

No, the Reverse Twins Paradox is purely a thought experiment and is not possible to recreate in real life. It is used to illustrate the concepts of time dilation and the relativity of time in the context of special relativity. While the effects of time dilation have been observed in experiments with high-speed particles, it is not possible for humans to travel at the speeds required for the Reverse Twins Paradox to occur.

4. What are the implications of the Reverse Twins Paradox?

The Reverse Twins Paradox highlights the concept of time as a relative and flexible concept. It shows that time can pass at different rates for objects traveling at different speeds, and that there is no universal "correct" time. This has significant implications for our understanding of the universe and the laws of physics.

5. How does the Reverse Twins Paradox relate to Einstein's theory of special relativity?

The Reverse Twins Paradox is a thought experiment that is based on the principles of Einstein's theory of special relativity. Special relativity states that the laws of physics are the same for all observers in uniform motion, and that the speed of light is constant for all observers. The Reverse Twins Paradox demonstrates the effects of time dilation and the relativity of time on objects traveling at near-light speeds, which are key concepts in special relativity.

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