Proper time or proper time interval

In summary, the term proper time refers to a specific time interval measured by a running clock, while the term proper time interval refers to the difference in time between two events as measured by the same or synchronized clocks. This distinction is important in discussing time in physics, as some authors use the terms proper time and coordinate time interchangeably, which can be misleading.
  • #1
bernhard.rothenstein
991
1
i find in the literature in different textbooks the term proper time
Thomas A. Moore, Six Ideas that Shaped Physics (McGraw-Hill) 1998
and the term proper time interval
Yuan Zhong Zhang, Special Rekativity and its Fundamental Foundations, (World scientific )
I consider that the first is missleading. What is your oppinion?
Thanks
 
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  • #2
All proper times are intervals, but not all intervals are proper times, only time-like intervals can be proper times.
 
  • #3
bernhard.rothenstein said:
i find in the literature in different textbooks the term proper time
Thomas A. Moore, Six Ideas that Shaped Physics (McGraw-Hill) 1998
and the term proper time interval
Yuan Zhong Zhang, Special Rekativity and its Fundamental Foundations, (World scientific )
I consider that the first is missleading. What is your oppinion?
Thanks

What are the specific definitions of these terms from the respective sources?
(Without these definitions, there is nothing concrete for us to compare. I don't have time to go track down these resources.)
 
  • #4
robphy said:
What are the specific definitions of these terms from the respective sources?
(Without these definitions, there is nothing concrete for us to compare. I don't have time to go track down these resources.)

When we speak about time we have in mind what a runing clock displays.
When we speek about the time elapsed between two events we speak about a time interval measured as a difference between the readings of the same clock or between the readings of two synchronized distant clocks.
That is the reason why IMHO it is correct to speak about proper time interval and coordinate time interval and not about proper time or coordinate time as many authors do.
o.k.?
 

What is proper time?

Proper time, also known as proper time interval, is a concept in special relativity that measures the time interval between two events in the same frame of reference.

How is proper time calculated?

Proper time is calculated using the equation t = t0/√(1-v^2/c^2), where t0 is the time interval measured by an observer in a stationary frame, v is the relative velocity between the two frames, and c is the speed of light.

Why is proper time important in special relativity?

Proper time is important in special relativity because it is a fundamental concept that allows us to understand how time is experienced by different observers in different frames of reference.

What is the difference between proper time and coordinate time?

Proper time is the time interval measured by an observer in the same frame as the events, while coordinate time is the time interval measured by an observer in a different frame of reference. Proper time takes into account the effects of time dilation, while coordinate time does not.

Can proper time ever be negative?

No, proper time cannot be negative. It is a physical quantity that is always positive and represents the time interval between two events experienced by an observer in the same frame of reference.

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