How does General Relativity explain the twin paradox?
In this supposed paradox, one of two twins travels at near the speed of light to a distant star and returns to the earth. Relativity dictates that when he comes back, he is younger than his identical twin brother. This paradox is discussed in many books but solved in very few.
What are the two postulates of special relativity?
The first postulate of special relativity is the idea that the laws of physics are the same and can be stated in their simplest form in all inertial frames of reference. The second postulate of special relativity is the idea that the speed of light c is a constant, independent of the relative motion of the source.
Does the special theory of relativity allow your father to go on a trip and return younger than you?
Yes, due to the theory of relativity, the ship would move close to the speed of light, causing time dilation which would make time on the spacecraft move slower compared to that on Earth. However, earth’s age would have passed as many light years as the journey.
What is length contraction in special theory of relativity?
According to the special theory of relativity, length contraction is the phenomenon that a moving object’s length is measured to be shorter than its proper length, which is the length as measured in the object’s own rest frame. This contraction is usually only noticeable at a substantial fraction of the speed of light.
What is the twin paradox in special relativity?
The Twin Paradox in Special and General Relativity. If you did that (keeping time and space at 90 degrees, but aligning the time axis with the trajectory of Twin B), then light would not be traveling at 45 degrees according to Twin B. That is, Twin B would measure light to not be traveling at the speed of light.
Does the travelling twin have two inertial frames of reference?
However, this scenario can be resolved within the standard framework of special relativity: the travelling twin’s trajectory involves two different inertial frames, one for the outbound journey and one for the inbound journey.
How does the twin paradox relate to the Doppler shift?
During the trip, both the traveler and Earth keep sending signals to each other at a constant rate, which places Langevin’s story among the Doppler shift versions of the twin paradox. The relativistic effects upon the signal rates are used to account for the different aging rates.
Can twins predict the clock readings on a cruise?
No matter what method they use to predict the clock readings, everybody will agree about them. If twins are born on the day the ship leaves, and one goes on the journey while the other stays on Earth, they will meet again when the traveler is 6 years old and the stay-at-home twin is 10 years old.