- #1
artkingjw
- 8
- 0
hey forum,
first of all, I'm a high school kid so forgive me if this is stupid. I've been thinking about relativity for some time now, and the issue with simultaneity.
Einstein proposed that length contracts as you approach the speed of light. Assume for a second that a train is going close to the speed of light and there are 2 bulbs at each end of the train, with an observer in the middle, outside there is an observer as well. so when the train passes the observer outside the two lights turn on at exactly the same time and the observer outside sees the event as not simultaneous whilst the observer inside sees it at simultaneous.
what i propose is, instead of the usual picture of linear contraction in the direction of motion (where such a paradox holds true), think of the contraction as non linear (hyperbolic or exponential perhaps?) where a test length in front and at the back contract with differing amounts although the overall contraction of the train is still according to einsteins length contraction equation. So if the front shortens more than the back, the paradox can be solved.
thoughts?
once again I'm a kid... forgive me if I'm wrong
first of all, I'm a high school kid so forgive me if this is stupid. I've been thinking about relativity for some time now, and the issue with simultaneity.
Einstein proposed that length contracts as you approach the speed of light. Assume for a second that a train is going close to the speed of light and there are 2 bulbs at each end of the train, with an observer in the middle, outside there is an observer as well. so when the train passes the observer outside the two lights turn on at exactly the same time and the observer outside sees the event as not simultaneous whilst the observer inside sees it at simultaneous.
what i propose is, instead of the usual picture of linear contraction in the direction of motion (where such a paradox holds true), think of the contraction as non linear (hyperbolic or exponential perhaps?) where a test length in front and at the back contract with differing amounts although the overall contraction of the train is still according to einsteins length contraction equation. So if the front shortens more than the back, the paradox can be solved.
thoughts?
once again I'm a kid... forgive me if I'm wrong