Lorentz Contraction: What really Contracts?

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Discussion Overview

The discussion revolves around the concept of Lorentz contraction in special relativity, specifically questioning what physically contracts during this phenomenon. Participants explore various interpretations, including the contraction of space between atoms, the atoms themselves, and the forces acting at a subatomic level. The scope includes theoretical implications and conceptual clarifications.

Discussion Character

  • Exploratory, Conceptual clarification, Debate/contested

Main Points Raised

  • One participant questions whether it is the space between atoms, the atoms themselves, or the distances related to fundamental forces that contract during Lorentz contraction.
  • Another participant asserts that everything contracts, stating that as one approaches the speed of light, the entire spatial dimension appears to squash in the direction of travel, affecting both the universe and the observed objects.
  • A different viewpoint emphasizes that all measuring tools also contract, making it impossible to detect motion through contraction, suggesting that the contraction occurs in a way that has no measurable effects.
  • One participant proposes the idea of reversing the effects of contraction to enable light travel without time dilation, although this idea is met with a question about its logical basis.
  • Another participant expresses a preference for conceptualizing Lorentz contraction as a rotation in the space-time plane rather than a contraction, suggesting that this perspective could explain the perceived shortening of objects.

Areas of Agreement / Disagreement

Participants express differing views on the nature of Lorentz contraction, with no consensus on what specifically contracts or how it should be conceptualized. The discussion remains unresolved regarding the implications of these interpretations.

Contextual Notes

Participants highlight the complexity of measuring contraction and the implications of relativity, but do not resolve the underlying assumptions or definitions related to contraction and motion.

Ricke6
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OK I've been reading up on Lorentz contractions in special relativity and i have been wondering about something for a while now. When a Lorentz contraction occurs what actually contracts? the space between the atoms? (because we are 99% space) the actual atoms themselves? or the distance between the strong force?(or possible now the gravitational force due to the Schwarzschild proton)

I would appreciate some incite into this question because to my understanding everyone i ask and everywhere i look it just says the "Object" contracts and it gives me the equation to find the factor of the contraction. It doesn't really tell me what the contraction is only that it happens.

This would really help a lot thanks!
 
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Everything. The whole spatial dimension if you will.

As you approach the speed of light in your spaceship, the universe as observed by you will squash in the direction of your travel. The distance to the target star will shrink and the star itself will flatten into a disc. If you could measure atoms whizzing by, the atoms would be flattened in the direction of your travel.
 
Simple answer "everything"
Everything contacts which is why you can't tell, any ruler or physical process you would use to measure the contraction also contracts - this is a very important point - relativity says you can't tell if you are moving, so you can't use contraction to tell if you are moving - so the contraction must happen in a way to have no measurable effects.
 
So could it be possible to reverse the effects of the contraction to allow for light travel without time dilation?
 
Ricke6 said:
So could it be possible to reverse the effects of the contraction to allow for light travel without time dilation?

How does that follow?
 
I've never liked thinking of it as a contraction but prefer to think of it as a rotation of the body in the space-time plane. Its the four dimensional version of taking a rod and turning it a bit from your perspective...can look shorter.
 

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