B SR equation seems to depend on orientation of the 'light clock'

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The discussion centers on the confusion surrounding the application of the special relativity (SR) equation using a 'light clock' in different orientations. Participants emphasize that the validity of the equation relies on the emitter and detector being at the same spatial location, which is crucial for accurate time measurement. Various setups lead to different perceived paths of the photon, complicating the understanding of time dilation and length contraction. Despite these complexities, it is noted that when accounting for length contraction, all orientations yield consistent results. Ultimately, the conversation highlights the importance of maintaining a proper frame of reference in relativity to ensure accurate calculations.
  • #61
Ibix said:
No - I did read the instructions before commenting.
Sorry about that. I never tested on Android. Please try on a computer, iPhone or iPad.
 
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  • #62
The OP's question was about the orientation of the mirrors of a light clock. I noticed that my app (https://joekahr.github.io/lightclock/) had a bug that made changing the orientation difficult. It's fixed now.
I also made the Center Clock default settings more intuitive: clock is moving in the Lab frame, clock is centered in the Rocket frame.
 
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  • #63
That's so cool. Interesting that the light pulses always seem to intersect at the center. That surely indicates some sort of symmetry. Maybe that length contraction applies evenly across the direction of travel.
 
  • #64
Grasshopper said:
Interesting that the light pulses always seem to intersect at the center.
They must. You could build an arbitrarily small bomb trigger that would go off if illuminated by all four pulses at once and not if only three or fewer pulses illuminate it. If all four pulses reach the center simultaneously in one frame they must in all, because whether the bomb goes off or not can't be frame dependent.
 
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  • #65
Ibix said:
They must. You could build an arbitrarily small bomb trigger that would go off if illuminated by all four pulses at once and not if only three or fewer pulses illuminate it. If all four pulses reach the center simultaneously in one frame they must in all, because whether the bomb goes off or not can't be frame dependent.
Physicists are so dramatic — there's always got to be explosion of some sort 😋
What's wrong with a little electronic counter; I mean, it'd probably be cheaper...
 
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  • #66
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