templategugl.blogg.se - The thought train

this means that time passes differently for you on the train and for the person at the side of the track. But, since the speed of light is constant, distance and time become relative. However, a person watching this from the side of the track should see the light from your face travelling at twice its normal speed. Will you be able to see your reflection in the mirror? Yes, the reflection will be seen because, according to the principle of relativity, it would not be possible for the person in the train to do anything to detect the constant motion with which he or she is travelling. You hold up a mirror in front of you, at arm’s length. The train is moving at the speed of light.

Imagine that you are sitting in a train facing forwards.

HOWEVER, this isn't really a practical model, as my entire presentation is limited to 6 mins and for it to be a viable model I would have to use every person (although it is a very small class) as a volunteer. As with the other alternative, explain how light would travel diagonally and what the effect of this is. Repeated but with the volunteer projected at a constant velocity, to which they would see the ball fall in a parabolic curve.

Volunteer sits on a swivel chair, which is spun and a ball is tossed vertically, which they see fall vertically.

Then explain that as light isn't affected by gravity it would travel in a diagonal line, therefore travelling a further distance to an observer resulting in different 'clocks'. Then go on to explain that the ball to an observer in the box sees it fall vertically.

Box is projected, string is released, ball falls in a parabolic curve to the observer out of the box. Simple box on wheels, 1 side open, hole in the top with a string attached to a ball.The two observers then see the pulse of light travelling different distances in one second.įairly easy to model, HOWEVER I need to model it in the best possible method. However, if the same clock is viewed by an observer on the platforms the train travels by at half the speed of light then the path of the light pulse would by diagonal according to Pythagoras' rule. The path of the light viewed by an observer on the train would be vertical. Imagine a train consisting of two mirrors with a light pulse reflecting between them.

My current plan is to model the following two thought experiments: The task is unique (ie each student is required to model a different part of the course), and I'm fairly confident with my understanding of SR, so I won't have many problems explaining it. Therefore a minimum of 2 thought experiments. OK, I have an assessment task to create a 3D model of SOME of Einstein's thought experiments involving trains and mirrors, and present it to the class.