Trying to understand special relativity

[loobloke]

I'm just trying to figure out the basic concepts of relativity and I just seem to confuse myself more the more I think about it.

Homework Statement

Consider a moving observer O' at velocity v in one dimension.
Two simultaneous events, each distance L away from the observer occur.
What is the time difference between the 2 events as observed by O'?

How far will the moving observer O' be observed to have moved during this time difference by a stationary observer O.

Homework Equations

Time Dilation
Length Dilation

The Attempt at a Solution

:(

Is there like a trick to approaching questions like this and to understand the basic concepts for this kind of stuff?

Cheers guys.

EDIT: Should have probably put this onto the introductory forums. Sorry!

 

[sylas]

The description is a little bit unclear. I presume that the two events in two opposite directions from O'.

In my opinion, the trick to approaching these questions is simply to use Lorentz transformations, rather than try to work from the dilation equations. It's easy to slip up in just apply dilation, whereas if you use the Lorentz transformations the dilation falls out immediately.

As I read your problem, you have a three events defined in a frame "O". Events are locations by a single space co-ordinate along a line, and a time at which it occurs. We'll put the observer O' at the origin at time 0, and have the events also at time 0.

There are the two the event (L, 0) and (-L, 0), while O' is at the origin (0,0).

Now transform to new co-ordinates moving at velocity v. Do you know the Lorentz transformations?

Cheers -- sylas

 

[loobloke]

Ahh thanks. I can do the Lorentz.

It does seem like a much simpler method.

Appreciate it mate :)