Time dilation, in the context of special relativity, refers to the phenomenon where time appears to pass differently for two observers moving relative to each other at different velocities. It is a consequence of the theory of relativity, which describes how space and time are interconnected.
According to special relativity, the passage of time is not absolute but depends on the relative motion between observers. When two observers are in relative motion, they will measure different time intervals between events. The observer who is moving faster relative to the other will experience time passing more slowly compared to the stationary observer.
This effect becomes noticeable only at velocities close to the speed of light. As an object approaches the speed of light, time dilation becomes more pronounced. However, the effect is still extremely small at everyday speeds.
While we cannot directly sense time dilation in our everyday experiences, experiments and observations have confirmed its existence. One well-known example is the measurement of time dilation in high-speed particle accelerators. Scientists have observed that subatomic particles traveling at high speeds have longer lifetimes than their counterparts at rest. This is because their internal processes appear to slow down from the perspective of a stationary observer.
In summary, time dilation is a fundamental aspect of special relativity, where time appears to pass differently for observers in relative motion. While we may not sense it directly in our daily lives, its effects have been experimentally verified and are crucial for our understanding of the nature of space and time.