Space-Time Lab - Tutor Page 11
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Answer: C) The earth's frame is contracted. The same contraction is applied to the earth observed by the astronaut, and is contracted by the same factor gamma. When the astronaut looks at the earth, the earth is moving away from him at negative his speed relative to his rest frame, and because the gamma factor is determined by the square of the velocity, negative and positive velocities have the same effect. Well then how can BOTH frames be contracting? Its not that both frames are contracting - if you asked the astronaut or someone on earth they would tell you that their frame is proportioned quite nicely, but they only APPEAR contracted to an observer moving at a very high speed relative to their frame. This of course begs the question of what is real. We have come to a point in physics where we have to stop thinking about things as objects and begin seeing them as incorporated concepts, because what we are observing goes beyond our usual powers of perception. What is real in this case is this - the speed of light is always c and Newton's relativity. These laws bring about these odd happenings. Click Next, it gets weirder. |
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