- #1
nickclarson
- 32
- 0
Ok so I know the basics of relativity but I keep thinking of one situation that keeps confusing me.
Lets say you and one other person are in empty space with nothing else around you. That person uses their "engine" to accelerate away from you at light speed for some distance then turns around and comes back. Now at this point one person is going to be younger than the other, but I'm having trouble figuring out who will for a couple reasons. What determines who feels the acceleration? As far as I'm concerned, even though I didn't use my engine I still moved away from the other person at the same rate that they moved away from me. What made them feel acceleration and not me? Does it have something to do with being relative to space itself? Would then somehow "the universe" be able to recognize who actually used their engine and decide who actually created the acceleration?
I guess knowing who felt the acceleration would then answer my main question. I suppose I should have entitled the thread a little differently, oh well!
Hope this makes sense, this thought has been bothering me for awhile.
Thanks,
Nick
Lets say you and one other person are in empty space with nothing else around you. That person uses their "engine" to accelerate away from you at light speed for some distance then turns around and comes back. Now at this point one person is going to be younger than the other, but I'm having trouble figuring out who will for a couple reasons. What determines who feels the acceleration? As far as I'm concerned, even though I didn't use my engine I still moved away from the other person at the same rate that they moved away from me. What made them feel acceleration and not me? Does it have something to do with being relative to space itself? Would then somehow "the universe" be able to recognize who actually used their engine and decide who actually created the acceleration?
I guess knowing who felt the acceleration would then answer my main question. I suppose I should have entitled the thread a little differently, oh well!
Hope this makes sense, this thought has been bothering me for awhile.
Thanks,
Nick