Calculating Time Dilation: QW Space Station

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Homework Help Overview

The problem involves calculating time dilation for a space station moving at a speed of 0.01 c relative to Earth. The original poster seeks to determine how much longer than one year would pass on Earth when one year passes on the space station's clock.

Discussion Character

  • Exploratory, Conceptual clarification, Mathematical reasoning

Approaches and Questions Raised

  • Participants discuss the use of Lorentz transformations and the specific time dilation formula \(\Delta t = \gamma \Delta t'\). There are questions about how this formula is derived and applied in the context of the problem.

Discussion Status

Some participants have offered hints regarding the application of Lorentz transformations and the time dilation formula. Multiple interpretations of the problem setup are being explored, particularly concerning the definitions of reference frames.

Contextual Notes

Participants are working within the constraints of a homework problem, which may limit the information available for discussion. There is an emphasis on understanding the relationship between different frames of reference.

kingyof2thejring
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QW the space station is moving at a speed of 0.01 c relative to the earth. According to the clock on Earth , how much longer than one year would have passed when exactly one year passed in the rest frame of a space station?
How do i solve this problem?
thanks in advance
 
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HINT: Use the Lorentz transformation for time.
 
kingyof2thejring said:
QW the space station is moving at a speed of 0.01 c relative to the earth. According to the clock on Earth , how much longer than one year would have passed when exactly one year passed in the rest frame of a space station?
How do i solve this problem?
thanks in advance

As Hootenanny said you may use the Lorentz transformations. Or, in this case, you may as well use directly \Delta t = \gamma \Delta t' (which does follow from the Lorentz transformations).

Patrick
 
yeh
if we define frames of reference,
S: earth
S': space-station
then S' moves at 0.01 c w.r.t. S

start S: x_1=0 t_1=0
S' x'_2=0 t'_2=0
end S: x_1=? t_1=?
S' x'_2=? t'_2=365*24*60

t'_2-t'_1=gamma[(t_2-t_1)-v(x_2-x_1)/c^2
then what happens?
 
Last edited:
\Delta t = \gamma \Delta t'
how does this work?
 
Last edited:
kingyof2thejring said:
\Delta t = \gamma \Delta t'
how does this work?

This is the infamous "time dilation" formula, which gives you the time measured by "stationary" clocks (\Delta t) in terms of the time measured by a moving clock (\Delta t'). In your problem, the space station clock is the moving clock.

In your LT calculation, use the version that gives unprimed coordinates in terms of primed coordinates. Then you'll get the same time dilation formula.
 
kingyof2thejring said:
\Delta t = \gamma \Delta t'
how does this work?
This is called time dilation and as Pat said, follows direction from the Lorentz transformations. You apply this formula in exactly the same way you would a Lorentz transformation, set up your reference frames exactly as before. I.e. S frame is the Earth frame and S' is the space station's rest frame traveling at \beta = 0.01 wrt S. Therefore \Delta t will be the time period as measure on Earth and \Delta t' will be the time period as measure in the S' frame.

Edit: That's twice in two days Doc's beat me to it
 
Last edited:

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