Relativistic Effect on Object Accelerated to 10000-10000m/s^2

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Discussion Overview

The discussion revolves around the measurement of an object's speed and acceleration, specifically at high accelerations (1000G to 10000G or 10000-10000m/s²) and the potential influence of relativistic effects on the measurements obtained from a laser sensor and a high-speed camera. The scope includes experimental observations and the implications of general relativity in high-acceleration scenarios.

Discussion Character

  • Exploratory
  • Technical explanation
  • Debate/contested

Main Points Raised

  • One participant notes a discrepancy between the speed measured by a laser sensor and a high-speed camera, suggesting the possibility of relativistic effects influencing the laser sensor's results.
  • Another participant expresses skepticism about the relevance of relativity, indicating that the speeds involved are likely non-relativistic and questions the methods used for speed estimation.
  • A different participant emphasizes that the important factor is the speed rather than the acceleration, asking for clarification on the top speed achieved and the timing of the measurements.
  • One participant acknowledges that while the acceleration is high, the resulting speeds are still non-relativistic, questioning the impact of acceleration on the measurements.
  • Another participant suggests that the discrepancy is likely due to equipment issues rather than relativistic effects, proposing that the sensors may have calibration or operational problems.
  • It is mentioned that at extremely high accelerations, relativistic effects would only become noticeable after a significant duration, which is not the case in the described experiments.
  • A participant inquires about how the acceleration was estimated, indicating a need for clarity on the measurement process.

Areas of Agreement / Disagreement

Participants generally disagree on the relevance of relativistic effects in this context. Some argue that the measurements are likely non-relativistic and suggest equipment issues, while others consider the possibility of relativistic influences on the measurements.

Contextual Notes

There are unresolved questions regarding the accuracy of the measurement methods and the calibration of the sensors used. The discussion also highlights the dependence on the definitions of speed and acceleration in relation to relativistic effects.

sfsssfefsfe
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I am observing the speed of an object whose acceleration is about 1000G to 10000G (10000-10000m/s^2),
both with a laser sensor and a high speed camera in very short time
But the results keep coming out in a way that the laser sensor sees the velocity about 10-20% faster
than the high speed camera results. So I was wondering if there is any chance that the laser sensor result is affected by general relativity theory.
 
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Hi sfsssfefsfe and welcome to PF.

What kind of speeds are you talking about? My feeling is that any object that you can film is traveling at non relativistic speeds. You might want to carefully look at your methods of estimating the speed for the discrepancy.
 
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I'd be a bit surprised if it's anything to do with relativity if you're accelerating something big enough to photograph. Nor can I immediately see why one sensor would be affected by relativistic effects and the other wouldn't. Anyway, it isn't the acceleration that's important, it's the speed. What kind of top speed are you getting? And are you measuring the velocity during the acceleration and/or after acceleration has finished?
 
@kuruman it is sure that the measurement ends in a non relativistic speed, but the acceleration value is that keeps me worrying about.
@Ibix the top speed is just about everyday vehicle speeds, but since it accelerates in such a short time, wouldn't it affect the wavelength of laser beam
which is about few hundred nm and which again may lead to malfunction of the sensor? I have to lookup for a formula to calculate it, but
I haven't taken any course in relativity field and lack too much knowledge for right now.

one more thing is that the camera is taken from the direction perpendicular to the material and
laser sensor is located in direction that the material is heading right into.
 
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The discrepancy has nothing to do with relativistic effects. I suggest you either figure out if those two devices are operating nominally, or have them re-calibrated.

Zz.
 
sfsssfefsfe said:
the acceleration value

Is still very small in relativistic terms. At 100,000 m/s^2 acceleration, it would take about 10 minutes to reach speeds where relativistic effects might start to be noticeable. It sounds like your experiments are a lot shorter than that.
 
sfsssfefsfe said:
the top speed is just about everyday vehicle speeds, but since it accelerates in such a short time, wouldn't it affect the wavelength of laser beam
You're nowhere near anything that would have any relativistic effect. In relativistic terms the acceleration doesn't matter whatever it is and the velocity is, as you say, every day.

It sounds like you have an equipment problem. Perhaps the sensor integrates over some time period, which may imply an assumption like "velocity is approximately constant over a one millisecond period"?
 
As a matter of curiosity, how did you estimate the acceleration?
 

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