+22 votes
in Time Dilation by
edited by

Your answer

Your name to display (optional):
Privacy: Your email address will only be used for sending these notifications.
+20 votes
by

Certainly! Let's consider a scenario where we observe time dilation by keeping a light clock on the platform while a moving train passes by. This thought experiment can demonstrate the effects of velocity time dilation.

Imagine a platform with a stationary light clock, which consists of two mirrors facing each other with a light beam bouncing back and forth between them. Each time the light beam completes a round trip, it is equivalent to a tick of the clock. The speed of light is constant, so the time it takes for the light to travel from one mirror to the other and back is a fixed interval.

Now, suppose a train passes by the platform at a significant fraction of the speed of light. As an observer on the platform, you observe the moving train and the light clock inside it. From your perspective, the train is in motion, and you expect the light clock inside the train to appear slower due to velocity time dilation.

As the train moves, the light beam inside the clock still bounces back and forth between the mirrors. However, since the train is moving relative to the stationary platform, the distance the light has to travel to complete each round trip appears longer to you on the platform. This is a consequence of the relative motion between the train and the platform.

Because the speed of light is constant, the increased distance that the light must travel implies that it takes a longer time for each round trip. In other words, the tick rate of the light clock inside the train appears slower to you on the platform compared to an identical light clock at rest on the platform.

This observation of the light clock appearing slower due to its relative motion is an example of velocity time dilation. It demonstrates how the passage of time can be affected by the relative velocity between two observers.

In summary, by considering the behavior of a light clock on a moving train relative to a stationary platform, we can observe the effects of velocity time dilation and how time appears to run slower for the moving observer compared to the stationary observer.

Welcome to Physicsgurus Q&A, where you can ask questions and receive answers from other members of the community.
...