Special & General Relativity, time dilation, acceleration

In summary, time dilation is not affected by the acceleration of the clock, but only by its velocity. The acceleration profiles of two ships can be different, but as long as their velocities are the same at each instant, the overall time dilation will be the same.
  • #1
alviros
3
0

Homework Statement


From https://www.physicsforums.com/library.php?do=view_item&itemid=166
Time dilation does not depend on the acceleration of the clock.
From https://www.physicsforums.com/archive/index.php/t-175886.html
jtbell
Jul12-07, 07:56 AM
If the two ships have the same "acceleration profiles" then yes, their clocks will show the same amount of elapsed time when they return to Earth.

Homework Equations





The Attempt at a Solution


I feel confused. Can somebody help ? Is true the sentence in bold ?
I don't want discuss again the old thread, but I thought acceleration and gravity were equivalent.

 
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  • #2
Welcome to PF!

Hi alviros! Welcome to PF! :smile:
alviros said:
From https://www.physicsforums.com/library.php?do=view_item&itemid=166
Time dilation does not depend on the acceleration of the clock.
From https://www.physicsforums.com/archive/index.php/t-175886.html
jtbell
Jul12-07, 07:56 AM
If the two ships have the same "acceleration profiles" then yes, their clocks will show the same amount of elapsed time when they return to Earth.

I feel confused. Can somebody help ? Is true the sentence in bold ?
I don't want discuss again the old thread, but I thought acceleration and gravity were equivalent.

Time dilation, in the absence of gravity, depends only on velocity and not on acceleration.

However, if the velocity is changing, then the acceleration will be also, which I assume is what jtbell :smile: meant by the acceleration profiles being the same (or different).

But the instantaneous time dilation depends only on velocity.

And so the overall time dilation depends only on the velocity at each instant: √(1 - v2/c2). :smile:
 
  • #3
Thank you.
 

1. What is special relativity?

Special relativity is a theory developed by Albert Einstein that explains how objects move at high speeds. It states that the laws of physics are the same for all observers in uniform motion, and the speed of light is constant regardless of the observer's frame of reference.

2. How does special relativity affect time dilation?

Special relativity predicts that time passes slower for objects moving at high speeds compared to objects at rest. This phenomenon is known as time dilation. As an object's speed approaches the speed of light, time will slow down significantly for that object.

3. Can you provide an example of time dilation?

One example of time dilation is the famous "twin paradox." Imagine two identical twins, one stays on Earth while the other travels into space at a high speed. When the traveling twin returns to Earth, they will have aged slower than their twin who stayed on Earth due to time dilation.

4. What is general relativity?

General relativity is another theory developed by Albert Einstein that explains the effects of gravity on the universe. It states that gravity is not a force between masses, as Newton's theory suggests, but is instead a curvature of space and time caused by massive objects.

5. How does acceleration affect time according to general relativity?

According to general relativity, acceleration and gravity are equivalent. This means that objects experiencing acceleration will also experience time dilation, just like objects in a gravitational field. The greater the acceleration, the more significant the time dilation effect will be.

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