Special relativity, delay of a clock in a plane

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Homework Help Overview

The problem involves special relativity, specifically examining the time delay of a clock on a plane moving at 600 m/s relative to the ground. The original poster seeks to determine the time required for the plane's clock to be delayed by 2 microseconds according to ground clocks, utilizing Lorentz transformations.

Discussion Character

  • Exploratory, Mathematical reasoning

Approaches and Questions Raised

  • The original poster attempts to apply Lorentz transformations to relate the time intervals between the two reference frames. They express concern over the magnitude of their calculated time difference, questioning if it is reasonable. Other participants confirm similar results, indicating a shared understanding of the calculations involved.

Discussion Status

The discussion appears to be productive, with participants validating each other's calculations. There is an acknowledgment of the potential for precision issues regarding the speed of light, suggesting that while the calculations are consistent, there may be nuances to consider in terms of accuracy.

Contextual Notes

Participants note the importance of precision in calculations, particularly regarding the speed of light, which may affect the final answer. The original poster's concern about the large time value suggests a need for further exploration of the assumptions made in their calculations.

fluidistic
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Homework Statement


A plane is moving at 600m/s with respect to the ground. According to clocks on the ground, how much time would it take so that the plane's clock is delayed by 2 microseconds?

Homework Equations


Lorentz transformations.

The Attempt at a Solution


Let O be a reference frame on the ground and O' be a reference frame on the plane.
v=600m/s. If I'm not wrong, they ask me [tex]t_B-t_A[/tex] such that [tex](t_B-t_A)-(t_A'-t_B')=2 \times 10 ^{-6}s[/tex]. (*)
What I've done so far is [tex]t_B'-t_A'=\gamma \left [ t_B-t_A +\frac{v}{c^2}(x_A-x_B) \right ][/tex], replacing [tex]x_A-x_B[/tex] by [tex]v(t_A-t_B)[/tex], then solving for [tex]t_B-t_A[/tex] in (*), I reach that it's worth exactly [tex]1000000s[/tex]. Or 11 days, 13 hours, 46 minutes and 40 s. It seems too big for me. Do you get a different answer?
 
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Your final answer is about the same as mine.
 
collinsmark said:
Your final answer is about the same as mine.
Oh ok. Thanks a lot for the confirmation.
 
fluidistic said:
Oh ok. Thanks a lot for the confirmation.
Be careful of your precision though. The speed of light isn't exactly 3.000000 x 108 m/s. So I don't think you should be calculating the time down to the very second with that. But something around 1.0 x 106 seconds is the answer that I got, is what I meant.
 

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