Difference between revisions of "Time dilation"
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<math>t_2</math> is the time the events appear to occur, with the time dilation added. | <math>t_2</math> is the time the events appear to occur, with the time dilation added. | ||
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| + | This formula can be derived using a simple example. If there was a light clock that consisted of two mirrors with a light beam bouncing between them, the distance between the mirrors would be <math>ct_1</math>. If, the clock was inside a moving vehicle, than the distance the clock travels would equal <math>vt_2</math>. Finally, to an observer of the light clock, the light beam, instead of bouncing up and down, would move diagonally. The distance it appears to travel is <math>ct_2</math>. | ||
Revision as of 00:17, 24 December 2008
In special relativity, the time dilation that will be experienced can be expressed with the formula:
where
is the "proper" time experienced by the moving object.
is the relative velocity the ovject is moving to the observer.
is the speed of light; it can be simply expressed as 1, but then the velocity will have to be given in terms of .
is the time the events appear to occur, with the time dilation added.
This formula can be derived using a simple example. If there was a light clock that consisted of two mirrors with a light beam bouncing between them, the distance between the mirrors would be 
. If, the clock was inside a moving vehicle, than the distance the clock travels would equal 
. Finally, to an observer of the light clock, the light beam, instead of bouncing up and down, would move diagonally. The distance it appears to travel is 
.
