Is the Distance Traveled by Light Affected by Time Dilation?

cragar
Messages
2,546
Reaction score
3
When you derive the time dilation equation, and you see the light move straight down in one frame and in the other frame you see it move on a diagonal because the object is moving.
My question is in the moving frame when you use the horizontal distance to derive the distance that the light travels using Pythagorean theorem. It seems that the horizontal distance would be length contracted , or unless the ruler used to measure that distance is also length contracted. But isn't the length contraction formula derived using time dilation?
 
Physics news on Phys.org
In the light clock thought experiment, which is what I assume you are talking about, the horizontal distance is the distance the light clock traveled as measured by the other frame. No length contraction needed.
 
yes I am talking about the light clock, okay so it would be the observed distance traveled in the other frame, so you I guess it wouldn't matter.
thanks for your answer
 
Thread 'Can this experiment break Lorentz symmetry?'

Thread 'Can this experiment break Lorentz symmetry?'

1. The Big Idea: According to Einstein’s relativity, all motion is relative. You can’t tell if you’re moving at a constant velocity without looking outside. But what if there is a universal “rest frame” (like the old idea of the “ether”)? This experiment tries to find out by looking for tiny, directional differences in how objects move inside a sealed box. 2. How It Works: The Two-Stage Process Imagine a perfectly isolated spacecraft (our lab) moving through space at some unknown speed V...
View full post »

Thread 'Relativator (Circular Slide-Rule): Simulated with Desmos - Insight'

Insights auto threads is broken atm, so I'm manually creating these for new Insight articles. The Relativator was sold by (as printed) Atomic Laboratories, Inc. 3086 Claremont Ave, Berkeley 5, California , which seems to be a division of Cenco Instruments (Central Scientific Company)... Source: https://www.physicsforums.com/insights/relativator-circular-slide-rule-simulated-with-desmos/ by @robphy
View full post »

Thread 'A sufficient condition for integrability of equation ##\nabla g=0##'

In Philippe G. Ciarlet's book 'An introduction to differential geometry', He gives the integrability conditions of the differential equations like this: $$ \partial_{i} F_{lj}=L^p_{ij} F_{lp},\,\,\,F_{ij}(x_0)=F^0_{ij}. $$ The integrability conditions for the existence of a global solution ##F_{lj}## is: $$ R^i_{jkl}\equiv\partial_k L^i_{jl}-\partial_l L^i_{jk}+L^h_{jl} L^i_{hk}-L^h_{jk} L^i_{hl}=0 $$ Then from the equation: $$\nabla_b e_a= \Gamma^c_{ab} e_c$$ Using cartesian basis ## e_I...
View full post »

Similar threads

B Why does length contraction occur and how does it relate to time dilation?
2
Replies
63
Views
5K
B What does symmetry of time dilation really mean?
Replies
16
Views
2K
B Einstein thought experiment confusion: “light clock in a moving frame”
Replies
5
Views
2K
I What causes time dilation and length contraction
Replies
10
Views
2K
B Reciprocal time dilation
Replies
14
Views
1K
I Question about length contraction
Replies
45
Views
5K
I Length Contraction & Time Dilation: Proving It
Replies
5
Views
2K
I Length contraction and time dilation
Replies
36
Views
4K
I Does SR Length Contraction Halve Space Travel Time?
Replies
17
Views
2K
B Travel Times & Distances: Twin Paradox & Alpha Centauri
Replies
10
Views
3K

Hot Threads

Recent Insights

Back
Top