- #1
Tom Evans
- 3
- 0
I’ve seen a few places, here is 1 such link:
http://physics.weber.edu/schroeder/mrr/MRRtalk.html
I have a problem with how they represent the charges in the frame where the free charge is stationary and the charges are moving in the wire. This seems wrong for 2 reasons:
1. They show additional charges (higher density), this seems to violate the conservation of charge.
2. The higher density violates the relativity. If you imagine bullets shot from a machine gun, the bullets would appear to shrink in length to a stationary observer, but NOT the space between them (matter shrinks, not space and space isn’t moving anyhow)
I say that it’s the atom (space between the electrons and nucleus) that shrinks, not the particles because even if they did shrink we would never notice. So in effect the atom becomes elliptical, being squashed in the direction of motion. Since atoms of the wire are not moving, there is no higher density of charges.
In the frame where the free charge is moving, it’s acceleration is reduced because of increase mass, in the frame where the charge is stationary and the wire is moving, it’s acceleration is reduced because the length of wire is shrinking. Both cases are magnetism.
What am I missing?
http://physics.weber.edu/schroeder/mrr/MRRtalk.html
I have a problem with how they represent the charges in the frame where the free charge is stationary and the charges are moving in the wire. This seems wrong for 2 reasons:
1. They show additional charges (higher density), this seems to violate the conservation of charge.
2. The higher density violates the relativity. If you imagine bullets shot from a machine gun, the bullets would appear to shrink in length to a stationary observer, but NOT the space between them (matter shrinks, not space and space isn’t moving anyhow)
I say that it’s the atom (space between the electrons and nucleus) that shrinks, not the particles because even if they did shrink we would never notice. So in effect the atom becomes elliptical, being squashed in the direction of motion. Since atoms of the wire are not moving, there is no higher density of charges.
In the frame where the free charge is moving, it’s acceleration is reduced because of increase mass, in the frame where the charge is stationary and the wire is moving, it’s acceleration is reduced because the length of wire is shrinking. Both cases are magnetism.
What am I missing?