General Theory of Relativity Question

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SUMMARY

The discussion centers on the interpretation of time dilation in the context of the General Theory of Relativity, specifically how Adam in space perceives Sarah's clock on Earth as slower. The participants clarify that gravitational time dilation and special relativistic effects both contribute to this perception. Adam sees less time has passed on Sarah's clock compared to his own, leading him to conclude that her clock is running slower. The confusion arises from the relativity of simultaneity and the differing reference frames of the observers.

PREREQUISITES
  • Understanding of General Relativity and Special Relativity
  • Familiarity with time dilation concepts
  • Knowledge of reference frames in physics
  • Basic grasp of light clocks and their significance in relativity
NEXT STEPS
  • Study the mathematical foundations of time dilation in General Relativity
  • Explore the concept of simultaneity in Special Relativity
  • Examine examples of gravitational time dilation using real-world scenarios
  • Analyze light clock experiments to visualize time dilation effects
USEFUL FOR

Students of physics, educators explaining relativity, and anyone interested in understanding the nuances of time perception in different reference frames.

  • #31
...

A better video for just understanding why the observer-pair time difference exists can be found at http://www.learner.org/vod/vod_window.html?pid=611 . Unfortunately the page says it is only available to web addresses within the USA and Canada.

When the page link opens, go down to the little square icon following #42, The Lorentz Transformation, and open it. The 1985 video is meant as a teaching aid for college (or high school) physics classes and is 1/2 hour long. It covers the simple applied math as it progresses and is an unusually good visual aid to comprehending foreshortening and time dilation of Special Relativity (SR) as we still understand it now. Without the Lorentz Transformation, Einstein's SR would likely not be established today.

Wes
...
 
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