I wanted to see what would happen if the platform observers recorded L1 on the train's clock and wondered if they would agree it is traveling at c. Someone in my class asked the question why the speed of light is constant but we use two clocks operating at different speeds to measure it? That...
Well my understanding is premature because I have disregarded 3 factors: aceleration, deceleration and total time dilation.
Someone on this thread stated that the train clocks needed to be sychronized and stopped before any change in velocity occurs. The train's clocks are out of sync for the...
The problem as I see it is I am trying to run an experiment I'm not sure is even possible. It's extremely complicated, however the result should explain roughly what is happening, so I'll go with it anyway. It is difficult to follow I know, but is based on the premise that if I could see a...
That couldn't be. P is perpendicular to TN when the light flashes. P sees the light travel 10ft. Then by the time he sees the light hit the back of the train, TS is 10ft south. That means the train is ten feet short and stationary.
Doc this train is traveling at a tremendous speed.
Are...
I'll reset the experiment. Two observers on the train with synchronized clocks 20ft apart. The train is traveling at a velocity where the Platform observer sees the light beam travel only 10ft.
At the exact time the front observer (Fr) passes the platform observer (P) he also shines a light...
Well I'm not so sure about the semantics but, as you can understand, this helps a lot.
So after our little word mix-up, and after analysing length contraction, I'm back to: A moving train is "actually" shorter and its clock "actually" runs slow for the platform observer. The platform is...
Right.
So if that is true then the observed length contraction actually occurs. The train "actually" is shorter from the platform. The platform "actually" is shorter for the train observers.
Now we have a problem because you objected so often to me saying the the moving clocks "actually"...
I'm ok with your letters
F1 = TN
F2 = PN
F3 = TS
F4 = PS
R1 = TM
R2 = PM
D = distance between the triggers
D1 = distance between gun powder
D and D1 equal 20ft at rest.
What actually happens I am not entirely sure of.
After consideration, in my first explanation of length contraction, I seem to have forgotten about time dilation. It's difficult to put them all together at the same time.
As for my experiment, it's quite unusual because, in my understanding, all three observers on the train should see the...
You see Doc:
If I see your clocks going slow and I measured it as going the same speed as mine. Then it was an illusion.
If I measured your clocks going slow and you agreed they were slow. Then it's a fact.
If I measure your clocks to be going slow and it's a fact but you don't agree...
So now I'm trying to solve the problem: A) is it just an illusion created by my perspective that two points moving together like F and S have slower clocks, are closer together and out of sync, B) is it actually true, or C) something else entirely.
If it were A then result for T and result...
Thanks Sarah, that example is where I was going next. But first I just need to clarify my last post.
My error was that when I reversed the experiment, according to SR, Fr/B should be greater than F.
Using my two experiments, result F would equal result T and result Fr/B should equal F/S...
Forget the sensors for just a minute. I'm running three experiments simultaneously and I need to go through each one seperately. Thank you for your patients.
So the time the train takes to travel between two stationary points for a passenger is less than the time recorded by two observers...
Well I understood from Einstein's paper that if I compared a rocket traveling to a rocket that is stationary to myself the clock on the moving rocket will be slower and it's length will be shorter. If I switched positions then I would achieve the same results. That is how it works.
I can...