About time when you get closer to C

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Discussion Overview

The discussion revolves around the effects of traveling at relativistic speeds, specifically regarding time dilation and the implications of direction and acceleration on time experienced by travelers compared to observers on Earth. Participants explore theoretical aspects of special relativity and the nature of inertial reference frames.

Discussion Character

  • Exploratory
  • Debate/contested
  • Technical explanation

Main Points Raised

  • Some participants assert that direction of travel does not affect time dilation, claiming that time passed on Earth will be the same regardless of direction.
  • Others argue that time dilation is relative, suggesting that clocks on Earth will appear to run slower from the perspective of a traveler moving at high velocity.
  • A participant contends that more time passes on Earth than for the traveler, challenging earlier claims about time experienced by the traveler.
  • Another viewpoint emphasizes that acceleration is the key factor affecting time experienced, rather than speed or direction, and discusses the isotropic nature of spacetime.
  • Some participants express confusion over terminology, particularly regarding "time space" versus "spacetime," and clarify their preferred terms.
  • There is a discussion about the validity of inertial reference frames and the implications of non-inertial frames in analyzing time accumulation for colocated objects.

Areas of Agreement / Disagreement

Participants express differing views on the significance of direction and acceleration in relation to time dilation, leading to an unresolved discussion with multiple competing perspectives on the topic.

Contextual Notes

Participants reference concepts from special relativity, but there are unresolved definitions and assumptions regarding inertial and non-inertial reference frames, as well as the implications of acceleration on time experienced.

Who May Find This Useful

This discussion may be of interest to those studying special relativity, time dilation, and the implications of motion in different reference frames, as well as individuals curious about the nuances of relativistic physics.

sublime56
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Ok so I read this on another site... "the Milky Way is part of the Local Group...The Local Group is calculated to move relative to the CMB at about 600 km/s (2,200,000 km/h)"

When you get into a 'spaceship' and travel say 50% the speed of light, then come back to earth, more time has passed for you than for those on earth.

My question is, does it matter what direction you travel in?
 
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No, the direction you move doesn't matter. The amount of time dilation and time passed on Earth will be the same.
 
Time dilation is relative. If you have a high velocity relative to earth, Earth clocks will appear to be slower than your pocket watch.
 
sublime56 said:
When you get into a 'spaceship' and travel say 50% the speed of light, then come back to earth, more time has passed for you than for those on earth

It's the other way around - more time has passed on Earth than for you.
 
My question is, does it matter what direction you travel in?
Direction doesn't matter and even speed doesn't matter. What matters is acceleration.

The amount of time that passed for you depends on the length of your path in time-space. The time space is isotropic, so the length doesn't depend on direction, and Lorentz-invariant, so the length doesn't depend on speed. However it is not invariant with regards to acceleration. So, by accelerating you change the tempo of your time passing.
 
sublime56 said:
Ok so I read this on another site... "the Milky Way is part of the Local Group...The Local Group is calculated to move relative to the CMB at about 600 km/s (2,200,000 km/h)"

When you get into a 'spaceship' and travel say 50% the speed of light, then come back to earth, more time has passed for you than for those on earth.

My question is, does it matter what direction you travel in?
It really would help if you would provide a link to the other site. Is your second paragraph also a quote from it? Those two sentences don't seem related.
 
haael said:
Direction doesn't matter and even speed doesn't matter. What matters is acceleration.
No, acceleration doesn't matter, only speed according to an Inertial Reference Frame matters. Of course, an acceleration that changes the speed of an object indirectly matters but you can also have an acceleration that does not change the speed and that won't matter at all for that particular IRF. If you transform to another IRF, all the speeds can change but for a situation where you are comparing the times accumulated by two objects that start out colocated and end up colocated, it won't matter which IRF you use.

haael said:
The amount of time that passed for you depends on the length of your path in time-space. The time space is isotropic, so the length doesn't depend on direction, and Lorentz-invariant, so the length doesn't depend on speed. However it is not invariant with regards to acceleration. So, by accelerating you change the tempo of your time passing.
These are a very confusing set of comments. First off, what do you mean by "time space" and "time-space"? If you mean spacetime, why do you change the terminology?
 
only speed according to an Inertial Reference Frame matters
There are infinite count of inertial reference frames moving relative to each other. You can have any speed you wish by selecting one of them.

If you transform to another IRF, all the speeds can change but for a situation where you are comparing the times accumulated by two objects that start out colocated and end up colocated, it won't matter which IRF you use.
The point is the rest frame of the spaceship is non-inertial.

First off, what do you mean by "time space" and "time-space"? If you mean spacetime, why do you change the terminology?
OK, I will use "spacetime" from now on.
 
haael said:
There are infinite count of inertial reference frames moving relative to each other. You can have any speed you wish by selecting one of them.
Yes, and they are all equally valid and none is preferred over the others.

haael said:
The point is the rest frame of the spaceship is non-inertial.
That's true but not significant. Inertial Reference Frames can handle non-inertial objects just fine and there is no standard way of constructing a non-inertial frame so if you want to use one, you will have to define how you're going to do it and when you get done, you will not have learned anything more about the scenario than if you had just used an IRF.
 
  • #10
Sorry, time pass more slowly for the guy in the ship*

Thanks for your answers guys. I think I'm getting it
 

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