Understanding SR: A Travelling Observer & Photons

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SUMMARY

This discussion focuses on the principles of Special Relativity (SR) concerning the measurement of photon speed by different observers. According to SR, all inertial observers measure the speed of light in a vacuum as c, regardless of their relative motion. The confusion arises from the misconception that a moving observer would measure the speed of emitted photons as c-v. The second postulate of SR confirms that no observer can measure light as c+v or c-v, emphasizing the unique nature of light's speed compared to classical Newtonian physics.

PREREQUISITES
  • Understanding of Special Relativity principles
  • Familiarity with the concept of inertial frames
  • Knowledge of the speed of light in a vacuum (c)
  • Basic grasp of relativistic effects such as time dilation and length contraction
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  • Study the implications of the second postulate of Special Relativity
  • Explore the concept of relativistic velocity addition
  • Learn about time dilation and length contraction in different inertial frames
  • Review numerical examples of light speed measurements in various frames
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Students of physics, educators teaching Special Relativity, and anyone interested in the fundamental principles of light and motion in the context of modern physics.

EV33
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I am currently trying to understand SR and am confused on this postulate.

Lets say someone is traveling on a some kind of machine that emits photons. When that photon is emited will the person traveling on the machine measure the photon going c or will they measure it going c-v? My next question is will an outside observer view the photon as going c or c+v? I'm guessing that the person on the machine will measure it as c-v and the stationary observer will measure it as c but I am not sure.
 
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The second postulate says all inertial frames measure all light wave to be moving at c, no inertial observer will ever measure a light wave to be moving at c+v or c-v. It might help to point out that addition of velocities doesn't work the same way in SR as it does in Newtonian physics. Also, keep in mind that each observer is using their own system of rulers and clocks to measure distance over time for a light wave, and each observer says that other observer's rulers are shrunk and that their clocks are slowed-down and out-of-sync (I gave a little numerical example of how these effects come together to ensure they each measure the same speed of c for a light wave in post #5 of this thread)
 
Thank you for the help.
 

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