- #1
James S Saint
- 169
- 0
Might there be anyone here who knows the math to work this one out?
Stopped Clock Paradox Simplified
"The speed of light is the same for all observers."
Scenario
The stationmaster has set two synchronized stop-clocks along side the track.
The stationmaster placed the clocks exactly 8 μls apart.
Exactly half way between the clocks is a stop-button.
The stop-button functions by flashing a photon toward each stop-clock, stopping them.
At the exact moment the clocks stop, they light up flashing the time they stopped.
Einstein is approaching the station in his train traveling at 0.5c.
The stationmaster pressed the stop-button when the train was 6 μls from the first clock.
The stationmaster noted that the clocks read exactly 10 μs when he pressed the button.
Questions
What time will Einstein see flashed from each clock and why?
What time will the stationmaster see flashed from each clock and why?
What time will the clocks later show as the time they actually stopped?From Einstein’s POV;
The station and clocks are moving toward him.
After the button is pressed, one clock is moving toward the stop-button’s flash. The other is moving away. Thus it seems that the clocks must stop at different time readings unless they are out of sync. And though they would be out of sync as perceived by Einstein, the math doesn't seem to work out such that both of them could agree with the actual stopped reading as revealed later.
Stopped Clock Paradox Simplified
"The speed of light is the same for all observers."
Scenario
The stationmaster has set two synchronized stop-clocks along side the track.
The stationmaster placed the clocks exactly 8 μls apart.
Exactly half way between the clocks is a stop-button.
The stop-button functions by flashing a photon toward each stop-clock, stopping them.
At the exact moment the clocks stop, they light up flashing the time they stopped.
Einstein is approaching the station in his train traveling at 0.5c.
The stationmaster pressed the stop-button when the train was 6 μls from the first clock.
The stationmaster noted that the clocks read exactly 10 μs when he pressed the button.
Questions
What time will Einstein see flashed from each clock and why?
What time will the stationmaster see flashed from each clock and why?
What time will the clocks later show as the time they actually stopped?From Einstein’s POV;
The station and clocks are moving toward him.
After the button is pressed, one clock is moving toward the stop-button’s flash. The other is moving away. Thus it seems that the clocks must stop at different time readings unless they are out of sync. And though they would be out of sync as perceived by Einstein, the math doesn't seem to work out such that both of them could agree with the actual stopped reading as revealed later.