How do we identify a stationary system?

[Ibix]

Only clocks at rest in the "stationary system" can be synchronized with reference to the "stationary system".

A bit of care needed with that statement. Clocks in the same state of motion can be synchronised in the sense that they show the same time as each other according to any frame's simultaneity convention (edit: which will not match their own frame's synchronisation convention). They don't tick at the correct rate except in their own rest frame, of course.

 

[Sagittarius A-Star]

They don't tick at the correct rate except in their own rest frame, of course.

Yes. About this, Einstein 1905 creates confusion, see:
https://www.physicsforums.com/threads/sr-which-clock-was-slower.993341/post-6392678

 

[CClyde]

He synchronised his clocks by adjusting one of them until they both agree on the lag of the other.

If that can be done it would certainly answer my question
Can you tell me how that is done?

 

[Ibix]

If that can be done it would certainly answer my question
Can you tell me how that is done?

Um... You look at the other clock and see how far out of sync it appears to be. Then you go to the other clock and see how far out the first one appears. Whichever one lags more, you reset it by the half the difference in the apparent lags. Job done. It's not rocket science. It's pretty much how you sync your wristwatch to a wall clock, if you have an old school one that doesn't do it itself.

 

[Ibix]

So, say I stand at clock A. It reads 12.00.00, and clock B reads (from this distance) 12.00.04. Then I go over to clock B. Time has passed and it now reads 1.00.00 and clock A reads 12.59.54. That's a ten second difference in the apparent lag (+4 vs -6) so I step the lead clock back by five seconds. You should be able to see that they now both appear one second slow seen from the other clock, which implies they are synchronised, but the further clock appears slow due to light speed lag over a one light second separation.

 

[malawi_glenn]

Some of you are trying to teach Einstein, not me.

Einstein is dead, we can't teach him.
What we can teach you is how you have misunderstood the arguments of Einstein.

 

[Ibix]

Yes. About this, Einstein 1905 creates confusion, see:
https://www.physicsforums.com/threads/sr-which-clock-was-slower.993341/post-6392678

Agreed. In the century plus since the paper was published it's become clear that there are less convoluted ways of getting to Einstein's results.

 

[PeterDonis]

Thread closed for moderation.

 

[PeterDonis]

After moderator review, the thread will remain closed as the OP is now taking a temporary vacation.