Planck Length and Lorentz Contraction

In summary, the article states that the Planck length is the shortest possible physical length, but this is not true and special relativity will only be approximate at larger length scales.
  • #1
Moayd Shagaf
38
12
I've heard that Planck length is the smallest length ever! but if something that his length is equal to Planck length and moving by speed dv which is infinitesimal change in speed or higher than that , then according to special relativity his length must be equal to L'=L \sqrt1-v^2/c^2
which is violate that Planck length is the smallest length.
so I considered two soultions to this dilemma, first maybe I misunderstood and this is the smallest length possible when object at rest.
maybe when object get to Planck length he can't ever move agian!
so what is the solutions?
and other thing since string length is equal to Planck length? how they propagate in spacetime?
 
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  • #3
phinds said:
Then you have heard wrong and the rest of your question is irrelevant.

Also, be aware, "I have heard" is definitely not an acceptable source for this forum.
https://futurism.com/the-smallest-possible-length/
 
  • #4
Moayd Shagaf said:
I have put in a link in my original post that you should check out.

I did not read the article you pointed to but if in fact it says that the Plank length is the shortest possible physical length, then it is an unacceptable source because it is wrong.
 
  • #5
Moayd Shagaf said:

This is not a valid source; it is presenting something which is speculation as though it were known fact. We will not know whether there is in fact a smallest possible length until we have a good theory of quantum gravity--at least that is our best current expectation.

Note also that even if it turns out that there is a smallest possible length in the correct theory of quantum gravity, that doesn't necessarily mean it will be the Planck length. That is also speculation at this point.

Moayd Shagaf said:
according to special relativity

If in fact it turns out that a good quantum gravity theory says there is a smallest possible length (whether it turns out to be the Planck length or something else), that will mean that our current classical theories of relativity (special and general) will only be approximations, valid for length scales much larger than the smallest possible length.
 
  • #6
Moayd Shagaf said:
I've heard that Planck length is the smallest length ever! but if something that his length is equal to Planck length and moving by speed dv which is infinitesimal change in speed or higher than that , then according to special relativity his length must be equal to L'=L \sqrt1-v^2/c^2
which is violate that Planck length is the smallest length.
so I considered two soultions to this dilemma, first maybe I misunderstood and this is the smallest length possible when object at rest.
maybe when object get to Planck length he can't ever move agian!
so what is the solutions?
and other thing since string length is equal to Planck length? how they propagate in spacetime?

You have just (correctly) reasoned that special relativity and a "smallest possible length" are incompatible. Either one or the other is wrong. Right now, special relativity has more experimental evidence, but if the "smallest possible length" is small enough, it could be that special relativity is approximate and we will see violations of it with enough precision.
 
  • #7
Moayd Shagaf said:
I've heard that Planck length is the smallest length ever! but if something that his length is equal to Planck length and moving by speed dv which is infinitesimal change in speed or higher than that , then according to special relativity his length must be equal to L'=L \sqrt1-v^2/c^2
which is violate that Planck length is the smallest length.
so I considered two soultions to this dilemma, first maybe I misunderstood and this is the smallest length possible when object at rest.
maybe when object get to Planck length he can't ever move agian!
so what is the solutions?
and other thing since string length is equal to Planck length? how they propagate in spacetime?

Building a mathematical structure with a quantized spacetime which is consistent with relativity is one of the motivations behind Alain Connes theory of Non-Commutative Geometry. Connes has been successful, but it is a very different geometry than what you are probably thinking, so your objections are not valid. It involves the position variables being replaced by non-commuting operators. An example you might be familiar with is QM phase space, where the operators [itex]\hat x[/itex] and [itex]\hat p_x[/itex] do not commute, and the phase space volume is a constant (Planck's constant h) as seen by all observers.
 
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  • #8
Phyzguy, those aren't really accessible at the I-level. And, given that the OP is IIRC a 13 or 14-year old, this really should be a B question.
 
  • #9
Vanadium 50 said:
Phyzguy, those aren't really accessible at the I-level. And, given that the OP is IIRC a 13 or 14-year old, this really should be a B question.

Sorry, I missed the I-level.
 

1. What is the Planck Length and why is it important?

The Planck Length is the smallest possible length that can exist in the universe according to the laws of quantum mechanics. It is approximately 1.616 x 10^-35 meters and is important because it helps us understand the fundamental building blocks of the universe and the limits of our current understanding of physics.

2. How was the Planck Length discovered?

The Planck Length was first theorized by German physicist Max Planck in 1899 as a fundamental unit of length based on the speed of light, the gravitational constant, and the reduced Planck constant. It was later confirmed by experiments in quantum mechanics and general relativity.

3. What is Lorentz Contraction and how does it relate to the Planck Length?

Lorentz Contraction is a phenomenon in which an object appears shorter in the direction of its motion when it is moving at high speeds. This effect is described by the theory of special relativity and is related to the Planck Length because it helps us understand the effects of extreme speeds and the limits of our current understanding of the universe.

4. Can the Planck Length and Lorentz Contraction be observed in everyday life?

No, the Planck Length and Lorentz Contraction are only observable at extremely small scales and high speeds, which are not typically encountered in everyday life. They are more relevant in understanding the behavior of particles at the subatomic level and the effects of extreme speeds, such as those near the speed of light.

5. Are there any implications of the Planck Length and Lorentz Contraction for our understanding of the universe?

Yes, the Planck Length and Lorentz Contraction are important concepts in understanding the fundamental structure of the universe and the limits of our current understanding. They also play a role in theories such as quantum gravity and the search for a unified theory of physics.

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