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Question about Einstein's Theory of Relativity?

I understand that c is constant because motion is relative. So no matter what you can always be seen as being at rest, so c will always be the same speed no matter what perspective you look at it from. But my question is why must time slow down if you're going really fast relative to another object. If motion is relative couldn't you say that the other object is going really fast and its time slows down, while you remain at rest. How is the speed of which time goes decided between the two objects. Also, why can no-one go faster than the speed of light, if motion is relative couldn't you say that all other objects are going faster than the speed of light while you are at rest. Is there something more complex that I am not understanding, is there like an equation or something. PLEASE TELL ME!

6 Answers

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  • Anonymous
    1 decade ago
    Favorite Answer

    I think that you have come as far as you can without running into the 'non-intuitive' parts of SR.

    You are correct in that you can - and must - consider your own frame of reference as special for you. In that frame of reference you are stationary, and there is no elongation of time for you. You will observe all other frames of reference as moving with respect to yourself, and will observe all of the relativistic effects of this motion as affecting them only, never yourself.

    The difficult part is that they will observe the same with respect to you: that you are moving, that you are experiencing relativistic effect, and so forth, and both of you are correct. That means that there is not one objective reality. Each observed reality is correct for each observer. There are no contradictions.

    As to the WHYs of these things, well, science does not do too well with ultimate why questions. The constancy of the speed of light in different reference frames was the underlying observation that Michelson & Morley made in the late 1800's that led to Einstein's insights. So that was an observation that we made, not a theoretical postulate.

    Since Einstein, we have encountered more than a few areas of science in which sane and reasonable logic simply does not apply. Newton's expectation in the conventional reasonableness of the universe is no longer a tenable position for science.

  • Jesse
    Lv 6
    1 decade ago

    We call c invariant under any reference frame. If I was travelling at 10% the speed of light (0.10c), then switched on my flashlight, you might think that the light coming out of it is travelling at c + 0.10c = 1.1c, but that violates the idea that nothing under any reference frame can travel faster than c. To you it's travelling at c, to me it's travelling at c. But then we reach a problem. How can we say light is travelling at c relative to BOTH of us if we have relative motion of 0.10c between us? How can I be speeding along and observe something travelling at the same speed in my reference frame that you do in your 'stationary' reference frame? This is where time dilation comes in. I can't think of a non-mathematical way to explain this right now, but look at Galileo Transformations then Lorentz transformations for the way to justify either reference frame to the other.

    Yes, you can say I'm travelling at +0.10c and you're stationary, or I could say that I'm stationary and you're travelling at -0.10c. They're both perfectly correct descriptions (well technically 'stationary' is an unreal concept because there needs to be another body with which we're stationary, but ignoring that for now). So in my frame of reference you're slowed down by a factor gamma (gamma = one over sqrt (1 - v^2/c^2)) and in yours, I'm slowed down.

    Time dilation is a very real effect. See the muons falling here

    http://hyperphysics.phy-astr.gsu.edu/hbase/relativ...

    Nothing may go faster than c. Why? It's the ultimate speed limit. Basically c is defined as the speed at which photons go, right? Photons are carriers of electromagnetic radiation (we'll say just light for now), so the speed of a light particle is the speed of light. The maximum speed one can attain is inversely proportional to your mass for a given force. See F = ma. If I weight twice as much as you, the same force will only accelerate me half as much as it would you. Photons have *zero* mass (zero rest mass, they indeed have relativistic mass, but that another time). Hence they represent the maximum acceleration without limit. They can accelerate to c. The equation F = ma actually has another gamma next to ma, so for a particle with mass, if we could give it v = c, we'd get gamma = infinity, ie, an infinite force would be required.

    Here's the gamma I keep talking about

    http://upload.wikimedia.org/math/f/4/a/f4a0055c423...

    I'd suggest reading University Physics if you get any opportunity. It's a lot better at describing than I am.

  • rusert
    Lv 4
    4 years ago

    time-honored relativity actual presented a contracting universe as a replace of the then assumed solid universe ( Newton defined it by making use of asserting that's a limiteless universe with countless mass yet admitted that such may well be a precarious stability ). Einstein became engaged on something adversarial to gravity to counter the contractive result to describe why the Universe nonetheless existed and hadn't in basic terms collapsed, it became many times talked approximately as antigravity interior the previous yet might now be talked approximately as damaging ability or dark ability. whilst Hubble got here out with the commentary that the Universe became increasing, then that eradicated the ought to counter the contractive outcomes of gravity so Einstein dropped his antigravity thoughts and talked approximately because it his best mistake. in spite of the shown fact that time-honored relativity might decelerate the enlargement, the two to a crumple or the enlargement will replace into extra suitable than the end results of gravity, regardless with an increasing universe and time-honored relativity, the enlargement ought to be slowing down and up to date observations say that is no longer, that is accelerating, consequently we've been dusting off Einstein's tossed away equations approximately anti-gravity and calling it damaging ability. The remark you discovered became from 1922 and from an extremely diverse attitude, it is likewise in all probability approximately Einstein's discussions of a a probability anti-gravity to counter the end results of gravity which may well be extra solid as an increasing universe than a solid universe. understand that decrease back then, the concept that the universe did no longer constantly existed because it did then might've been unthinkable, to symbolize that something reported an increasing or contracting universe may well be mocking the thought in 1922.

  • 1 decade ago

    To have radio-contact with sputnik need assume that time slow down there to set right frequency.And it requires to portion information.

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  • 1 decade ago

    You understand perfectly. A spaceship passes earth at 80%c to us their clocks run half as fast as ours AND to them our clocks run half as fast as theirs. All this lead to theTwin Paradox which is not a paradox because acceleration is involved. Google it.

  • Anonymous
    1 decade ago

    Time has two properties.

    Progress(related to evolution) and Event(related to Creation) by turns.

    and Probability exist between two properties.

    Mobius strip explains it very well. (one progress, one event, one probability)

    Look at this!

    Chicken (event) Egg (progress) & Egg (event) Chicken (progress)

    Schrodinger's cat was placed between one properties, just event. So, probability can not exist.

    The reason, Wave-particle duality of light. I think so...

    Progress / Event / Probability is a time. This is my trinity.

    --------------------------------------…

    Does time have the shape? Does soul have the shape?

    Everything has the shape but these two in the world.

    So, I made an assumption "Time is soul(thinking, knowledge, memory, etc.)".

    It was the beginning of my UNIONTERA.

    We know...

    To our great discouragement, these doesn't have one way by us.

    Time walked to science way. Soul walked to religion way.

    Light up candle for a second. A second of light exist permanently or not?

    --------------------------------------…

    Einstein deceive our world. Where is our common sense?

    I mean, why he didn't tell us this so easy common sense.

    The only base which can be the cause of Einstein's assumption...

    [Assumption] "principle of constancy of light velocity".

    [The only base] "Time of light is different from the starting point time."

    This base is not an assumption but a common sense. Can you see?

    In my opinion, he already knew this base.

    This common sense is a certain evidence for me.

    This is my uniontera.

    Existing is the time expressed by light itself. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=AN1jTwHUC7E

    - Key Point -

    1. Arrow A is the laser work. (Same time work)

    2. Arrow B is the reason of gravity. (also, Higgs boson individually / Different time work)

    3. The rose line is the beginning light. (result from Bible)

    4. The existing of different time. (result from relativity of light)

    5. 2 dimension is not a space. (result from math) & Boundary is a nothing.(result from our clock, one time.)

    6. Universe came from nothing. (result from No.5)

    7. Progress / Event / Probability is a time.

    8. Wave-particle duality of light (result from No.7)

    9. Coalescing of different time (Cause of Rotation)

    10. Your so-called black hole is a wholly condensed time. (Time is 0, result from math)

    11. The reason of "your so-called magnetic field" (result from step3 and 4)

    12. The reason of "your so-called electric field" (result from the crack of time / Same time's crack is a different time's coalescing.)

    13. Space is a crack of time. (result from No.12 / Same time's crack is a different time's coalescing.)

    14. Boundary is a crack of space. (result from No.13 / Same space's crack is a different time's contact.)

    15. Boundary is nothing. Your so-called hole is a boundary itself. Nothing is K=0 as a view of temperature.

    16. This is a wall of your so-called fire. (result from No.15) - copyright ⓒ uniontera

    Our nonsense came from one time. Uniontera is a KEY.

    English is not my first language, sorry!

    If it is difficult to understand, just remember "Your touching everything is a time". This is the only one result of uniontera.

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