The special theory of relativity describes the motion and dynamics of objects moving at significant fractions of the speed of light.
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12answers
2k views
Is it possible for information to be transmitted faster than light by using a rigid pole?
Is it possible for information (like 1 and 0s) to be transmitted faster than light?
For instance, take a rigid pole of several AU in length. Now say you have a person on each end, and one of them ...
10
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4answers
1k views
Travelling faster than the speed of light
Let's say I fire a bus through space at the speed of light. If I'm inside the bus (sitting on the back seat) and I run up the aisle of the bus will I in fact be traveling faster than the speed of ...
15
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4answers
1k views
Einstein's postulates <==> Minkowski space. (In layman's terms)
What's the cleanest/quickest way to go between Einstein's postulates [1] of
Relativity: Physical laws are the same in all inertial reference frames.
Constant speed of light: "... light is always ...
16
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7answers
10k views
How can a photon have no mass and still travel at the speed of light?
I've read a number of the helpful Q&As on photons that mention the mass/mass-less issue. Do I understand correctly that the idea of mass-less (a rest mass of 0) may be just a convention to make ...
3
votes
2answers
877 views
How to deduce the theorem of addition of velocities?
Lorentz contraction and time dilatation can be deduced without Lorentz transformation. Can you deduce also the theorem of addition of velocities
$$w~=~\dfrac{u+v}{1+uv/c^2}$$
without Lorentz ...
10
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9answers
3k views
Accelerating particles to speeds infinitesimally close to the speed of light?
I'm in a freshmen level physics class now, so I don't know much, but something I heard today intrigued me. My TA was talking about how at the research facility he worked at, they were able to ...
3
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5answers
3k views
Why and how is the speed of light constant?
I was told that the relative speed rule does not apply to the speed of light. No matter how fast two objects are moving, the speed of light will remain same for both of them.
How and why is this ...
7
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9answers
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Why does the mass of an object increase when its speed approaches that of light?
I'm reading Nano: The Essentials by T. Pradeep and I came upon this statement in the section explaining the basics of scanning electron microscopy.
However, the equation breaks down when the ...
4
votes
3answers
718 views
Is a photon “fixed in spacetime”?
From what I've read, according to relativity, a photon does not "experience" the passage of time. (Can we say there is no past/present/future for a photon?)
Would it be better to say a photon is ...
6
votes
4answers
752 views
Double light speed
Let's say we have 2 participles facing each other and traveling at speed of light
Let's say I'm sitting on #1 participle so in my point of view #2 participle's speed is c+c=2c, double light speed? ...
22
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5answers
2k views
A list of inconveniences between quantum mechanics and relativity?
It is well known that quantum mechanics and (special and/or general) relativity do not fit well. I am wondering whether it is possible to make a list of contradictions or problems between them?
E.g. ...
13
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2answers
555 views
Symmetrical twin paradox
Take the following gedankenexperiment in which two astronauts meet each other again and again in a perfectly symmetrical setting - a hyperspherical (3-manifold) universe in which the 3 dimensions are ...
9
votes
2answers
689 views
Is the “How to break the speed of light” minute physics video wrong?
I am referring to this video, on YouTube, by minutephysics, which has quite a lot of views.
In the video it states that if you flick your wrist while pointing a laser that reaches the moon, that the ...
6
votes
8answers
2k views
Would time freeze if you can travel at the speed of light?
I read with interest about Einstein's Theory of Relativity and his proposition about the speed of light being the speed limit for anything with mass. So, if I were ...
23
votes
9answers
3k views
Can Maxwell's equations be derived from Coulomb's Law and Special Relativity?
As an exercise I sat down and derived the magnetic field produced by moving charges for a few contrived situations. I started out with Coulomb's Law and Special Relativity. For example, I derived the ...
15
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2answers
1k views
What happened to the idea of tachyonic or other superluminal neutrinos?
While hunting around for information about the recent OPERA measurement that hints at superluminal neutrinos, I discovered that this idea was actually considered back in the 1980s. Wikipedia lists as ...
10
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13answers
1k views
What are the mechanics by which Time Dilation and Length Contraction occur?
What are the mechanics of time dilation and length contraction? Going beyond the mathematical equations involving light and the "speed limit of the universe", what is observed is merely a phenomenon ...
4
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5answers
501 views
Time Dilation - How does it know which Frame of Reference to age slower?
Okay, I'm asking a question similar to this one here: Time Dilation - what happens when you bring the observers back together?. Specifically, I am curious about a specific angle on the second part of ...
9
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2answers
765 views
Invariant spacetime - distance - Circular Motion
I understand that the closer something travels to the speed of light, that time will stretch by a factor, and distance will compress by the same factor.
My question is, if something travels in a ...
3
votes
4answers
346 views
Does $p=mc$ hold for photons?
Known that $E=hf$, $p=hf/c=h/\lambda$, then if $p=mc$, where $m$ is the (relativistic) mass, then $E=mc^2$ follows directly as an algebraic fact. Is this the case?
19
votes
5answers
2k views
Do photons gain mass when they travel through glass?
Please correct me if I'm wrong, but I believe that photons slow down when travelling through glass. Does this mean they gain mass? Otherwise, what happens to extra kinetic energy?
I understand now ...
20
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6answers
2k views
Why is there no absolute maximum temperature?
If temperature makes particles vibrate faster, and movement is limited by the speed of light, then temperature must be limited as well I would assume. Why there is no limits?
11
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2answers
1k views
Is kinetic energy a relative quantity? Will it make inconsistent equations when applying it to the conservation of energy equations?
If the velocity is a relative quantity, will it make inconsistent equations when applying it to the conservation of energy equations?
For example:
In the train moving at $V$ relative to ground, ...
14
votes
10answers
6k views
Does the Pauli exclusion principle instantaneously affect distant electrons?
According to Brian Cox in his A night with the Stars lecture$^1$, the Pauli exclusion principle means that no electron in the universe can have the same energy state as any other electron in the ...
14
votes
4answers
2k views
How is the classical twin paradox resolved?
I read a lot about the classical twin paradox recently. What confuses me is that some authors claim that it can be resolved within SRT, others say that you need GRT. Now, what is true (and why)?
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1answer
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What conservation law corresponds to Lorentz boosts?
Noether's Theorem is used to related the invariance under certain continuous transformations to conserved currents. A common example is that translations in spacetime correspond to the conservation of ...
3
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11answers
2k views
Could the Heisenberg Uncertainty Principle turn out to be false?
While investigating the EPR Paradox, it seems like only two options are given, when there could be a third that is not mentioned - Heisenberg's Uncertainty Principle being given up.
The setup is this ...
9
votes
3answers
337 views
How does a photon experience space and time?
To an an external observer it appears that time has stopped for photon. But this relation is reflexive, so for an observer travelling with the photon it appears the universe has stopped everywhere.
...
2
votes
6answers
2k views
Did Einstein prove $E=mc^2$ correctly?
In his book "Einstein's mistakes" H. C. Ohanian, the author, holds that Einstein delivered 7 proofs for $E=mc^2$ in his life that all were in some way incorrect. This despite the fact that correct ...
9
votes
3answers
891 views
Does a photon have a rest frame?
Quite a few of the questions given on this site mention a photon having a rest frame such as it having a zero mass in its rest frame. I find this contradictory since photons must travel at the seed of ...
7
votes
7answers
921 views
Rotate a long bar in space and get close to (or even beyond) the speed of light $c$
Imagine a bar
spinning like a helicopter propeller,
At $\omega$ rad/s because the extremes of the bar goes at speed
$$V = \omega * r$$
then we can reach near $c$ (speed of light)
applying some ...
1
vote
2answers
155 views
What is the relativistic action of a massive particle?
all Lorentz observers watching a particle move will compute the same value for the quantity
$$ds^2 = -(c \, dt)^2 + dx^2 + dy^2 + dz^2,$$
$$ds^2 = g_{\mu\nu}dx^{\mu}dx^{\nu},$$
and ''ds/c'' is then ...
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vote
5answers
499 views
About the Ether Theory acceptance
Why was the Ether Theory refused by Modern Physics? If you please explain me, I just wanted to understand it more.
12
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3answers
930 views
Is the universe a quantum computer - is light speed barrier a computational constraint
There is currently a debate ongoing on leading maths blog Gödel’s Lost Letter, between Gil Kalai and Aram Harrow, with the former arguing that building a quantum computer may not be possible due to ...
14
votes
2answers
649 views
Definitions: 'locality' vs 'causality'
I'm having trouble unambiguously interpreting many answers here due to the fact that the terms locality and causality are sometimes used interchangeably, while other times seem to mean very different ...
15
votes
4answers
3k views
Why does GPS depend on relativity?
I am reading A Brief History of Time by Stephen Hawking, and in it he mentions that without compensating for relativity, GPS devices would be out by miles. Why is this? (I am not sure which relativity ...
4
votes
2answers
257 views
Hamiltonian mechanics and special relativity?
Is there a relativistic version of Hamiltonian mechanics? If so, how is it formulated (what are the main equations and the form of Hamiltonian)? Is it a common framework, if not then why?
It would be ...
4
votes
5answers
488 views
Why isn't the symmetric twin paradox a paradox?
Two twin sisters synchronize their watches and simultaneously (from the earth frame) depart earth in different directions. Following a predetermined flight plan, each sister accelerates identically to ...
7
votes
4answers
2k views
Acceleration in special relativity
I am currently studying the motion of relativistic charged particles in electromagnetic fields. More exactly, we first derived the equation of motion in the 4-vector formalism.
I was a bit confused ...
6
votes
2answers
497 views
Tachyon and Photons
Is there a particle called "tachyons" that can travel faster than light? If so, would Einstein's relativity be wrong? According to Einstein no particle can travel faster than light.
5
votes
4answers
613 views
What was Albert Einstein's proof for $E=mc^2$?
Most people know the famous equation:
$$E=mc^2$$
What were his steps of thinking for this equation that helped us discover so much about our world?
5
votes
3answers
532 views
Paradoxical interaction between a massive charged sphere and a point charge
Suppose we have a sphere of radius $r$ and mass m and a negatively charged
test particle at distance d from its center, $d\gg r$. If the sphere is electrically neutral, the particle will fall toward ...
3
votes
5answers
588 views
Does $E$ really equal $mc^2$?
I'm currently in a debate with a co-worker.
If mass is sped up to the speed of light, does the mass become energy?
9
votes
2answers
587 views
If two ultra-relativistic billiard balls just miss, will they still form a black hole?
This forum seems to agree that a billiard ball accellerated to ultra-relativistic speeds does not turn into a black hole.
(See recent question "If a 1kg mass was accelerated close to the speed of ...
7
votes
3answers
600 views
What are some scenarios where FTL information transfer would violate causality?
I've always heard people saying, "Faster than light information transfer can't happen because it would violate causality! Effects can precede their causes!"
However, I'm trying to think of a ...
4
votes
1answer
398 views
Calculate the electric field of a moving infinite magnet, without boosting
Consider a rectangular slab of permanently magnetized material. The slab's dimensions are $L_x$, $L_y$, and $L_z$, and the slab is uniformly magnetized in the $\hat{x}$-direction. The slab is not ...
3
votes
2answers
789 views
If I move a long solid stick can I send message fastest than light? [duplicate]
Possible Duplicate:
Is it possible for information to be transmitted faster than light?
I mean by using a perfect solid stick long enough and moving it forward and backward can I send ...
2
votes
5answers
421 views
Special Relativity Second Postulate
That the speed of light is constant for all inertial frames is the second postulate of special relativity but this does not means that nothing can travel faster than light.
so is it possible the ...
1
vote
2answers
190 views
Why lagrangian is negative number?
In the special relativistic action for a massive point particle,
$$\int_{t_i}^{t_f}\mathcal {L}dt,$$
why is the Lagrangian
$$\mathcal {L}=-E_o\gamma^{-1}$$
a negative number?
1
vote
4answers
809 views
Is it possible to transfer classical bits of information faster than light speed?
Is there any known, verifiable way to transfer classical information faster than light, using quantum entanglement or other phenomenon?
Does quantum teleportation, or other known phenomenon, allow ...
