Time Dilation: A & B's Age Difference

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SUMMARY

The discussion centers on the twin paradox and time dilation effects experienced by two individuals, A and B, where B travels at 0.1c away from Earth for five years and then returns. It is established that A will age more than B, who will be approximately nine days younger upon reunion due to the effects of acceleration experienced by B. The key factor is that B is in a non-inertial frame during the journey, while A remains in an inertial frame on Earth. This difference in their paths through spacetime leads to the observed age difference, which cannot be explained using naive time dilation formulas.

PREREQUISITES
  • Understanding of special relativity concepts, particularly time dilation.
  • Familiarity with inertial and non-inertial reference frames.
  • Knowledge of Lorentz transformations and their implications.
  • Basic comprehension of spacetime and its geometric interpretation.
NEXT STEPS
  • Read the article "Geometrical View of Time Dilation" linked in the discussion for deeper insights.
  • Study the twin paradox FAQ for a comprehensive understanding of the age difference phenomenon.
  • Explore the implications of Lorentz transformations in non-inertial frames.
  • Investigate the effects of acceleration on time perception in special relativity.
USEFUL FOR

Students of physics, educators teaching relativity, and anyone interested in the implications of time dilation and the twin paradox in special relativity.

jha192001
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This is a gendenke experiment.

You(A) and your friend (B) are on earth. Now your friend sits on a spaceship that can fly at speed of 0.1c. He flies for 5 year straight ahead(away from earth) and then returns back slowly.
The answer that i get is B would have aged. Assuming this answer is right i want to put a question.
B goes. away from A and returns. But in reference frame of B, A goes away at 0.1c and returns so according to him A would have aged more. But when they meet who would have aged more? If no one, then how could wr say speed even has a effect called Time Dilation.
Thanks For Your Time.[emoji1]
 
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Both would have aged, but B will be younger than A by about nine days.

B felt acceleration. A did not, remaining inertial for the whole experiment. Thus B cannot use naive time dilation results which are based on the use of inertial frames, since B was not at rest in an inertial frame for the whole experiment.

The one who felt acceleration will be younger. This is not a direct consequence of acceleration, by the way. Edit: see the article linked by Grinkle in the next post for details.
 
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Ibix said:
Both would have aged, but B will be younger than A by about nine days.

B felt acceleration. A did not, remaining inertial for the whole experiment. Thus B cannot use naive time dilation results which are based on the use of inertial frames, since B was not at rest in an inertial frame for the whole experiment.

The one who felt acceleration will be younger. This is not a direct consequence of acceleration, by the way. Edit: see the article linked by Grinkle in the next post for details.
Sir,
B is in noninertial frame but as A is on Earth he himself is in one too..Then on what basis "B is youner" can be said.
P.s: I am reading about lorentz rn
 
jha192001 said:
Sir,
B is in noninertial frame but as A is on Earth he himself is in one too..Then on what basis "B is youner" can be said.
P.s: I am reading about lorentz rn
The Earth's surface rest frame is close enough to inertial that the error from treating it as inertial (Edit: or, more precisely, using the Sun-centred inertial frame and pretending that A is at rest in this frame) is tiny - about one part in 108, if I've done my mental arithmetic right. As to why B is younger, it doesn't really have anything to do with being inertial or not. It's just you can't naively apply standard SR time dilation formulae to non-inertial frames, which you were trying to do. Did you read the article Grinkle linked? It explains the age difference quite well.
 
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jha192001 said:
B is in noninertial frame but as A is on Earth he himself is in one too

If A were not on Earth but inertial, the age difference when he met up with B would be slightly more, as @Ibix noted.

If you are thinking that whether or not a frame is accelerating is frame dependent, this is incorrect. B felt acceleration according to B, and B felt acceleration according to A. They agree on this. A felt a much much smaller acceleration (being on Earth) according to A, and also according to B - they agree on that as well.
 
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jha192001 said:
B is in noninertial frame but as A is on Earth he himself is in one too..Then on what basis "B is youner" can be said.

It has nothing to do with frames. It has to do with their different paths through spacetime. The twin paradox FAQ that @Nugatory linked to goes into all this. Please read it.
 
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