- #1
allebone
- 8
- 0
Hi there
I have a question that has possibly been covered before, however, I cannot find the answer that I seek in any of the threads much less understand the odd mathamatical symbols and explanations that go with most of them.
I have no physics backgroud so most of the posts are filled with and explanations that I don't find easy to follow.
However I have a question with regards to the famous train experiment that shows how observers can observe the same events out of sequence to one anouther.
To clarify the experiment in question: a train speeding along has a pile of gunpowder in the middle of it. An observer/referee is standing next to the gunpowder and is going to light it at some point. When he does so a person at the front of the train will set his clock to 12:00 noon as will someone at the back of the train.
The referee lights the gunpowder, sees the flash and watches as both people at front and back of the train set their clocks simultaniously.
All is well until an observer watching from a platform points out that he saw the light reach the back observer first and saw him set his clock before the person at the front of the train.
The platform observer correctly concludes that (for arguments sake) the time on the clock will be 12:01 at the back of the train while it still only reads 12:00 at the front.
However the referee also cloncludesd correctly that this is not the case - he saw both of them set their clocks at the exact same time.
I think sofar that I understand all of this (to a point) however what I don't get is who is ultimately right? if the train is stopped and the 2 observers walk over to each other with their timepieces what will each clock say? will they be in sync or out of sync?
Am I missing something? Is this even a valid question to be asking?
If you know the answer would it be possible to explain it in an easyly understood way?
Kind Regards
Pete
I have a question that has possibly been covered before, however, I cannot find the answer that I seek in any of the threads much less understand the odd mathamatical symbols and explanations that go with most of them.
I have no physics backgroud so most of the posts are filled with and explanations that I don't find easy to follow.
However I have a question with regards to the famous train experiment that shows how observers can observe the same events out of sequence to one anouther.
To clarify the experiment in question: a train speeding along has a pile of gunpowder in the middle of it. An observer/referee is standing next to the gunpowder and is going to light it at some point. When he does so a person at the front of the train will set his clock to 12:00 noon as will someone at the back of the train.
The referee lights the gunpowder, sees the flash and watches as both people at front and back of the train set their clocks simultaniously.
All is well until an observer watching from a platform points out that he saw the light reach the back observer first and saw him set his clock before the person at the front of the train.
The platform observer correctly concludes that (for arguments sake) the time on the clock will be 12:01 at the back of the train while it still only reads 12:00 at the front.
However the referee also cloncludesd correctly that this is not the case - he saw both of them set their clocks at the exact same time.
I think sofar that I understand all of this (to a point) however what I don't get is who is ultimately right? if the train is stopped and the 2 observers walk over to each other with their timepieces what will each clock say? will they be in sync or out of sync?
Am I missing something? Is this even a valid question to be asking?
If you know the answer would it be possible to explain it in an easyly understood way?
Kind Regards
Pete