Space-Time Lab - Tutor Page 13



Answer: A) Time is slowed or dilated.

Because light always moves at the speed c, for the first leg it chases the front reflector. Although the second leg is shortened because it meets with the back reflector, more time is spent on the first part. Thus time must be dilated or slowed by a factor gamma or light wouldn't travel at the speed c or someone in the object frame could determine his or her own speed. Why is it that time is slowed and the clock is still a valid clock? Imagine having a real clock and a light clock both moving at the same time. If there was any discrepancy between the two, then someone in the object's rest frame could find out how fast he or she was moving! I've set up another experiment, this time with a real clock. You'll notice that in both frames, the clock that's moving relative to the frame at rest is slowed or dilated.

This seems strange; there must be some sort of paradox. Click Next.
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