Chronology Current Month Current Thread Current Date
[Year List] [Month List (current year)] [Date Index] [Thread Index] [Thread Prev] [Thread Next] [Date Prev] [Date Next]

Re: [Phys-l] how to explain relativity



John,
You seem to be solving a different problem. There's is an inertial
reference frame O in which the two spaceships, one in front of the
other, are initially at rest. There is a rope stretched from the tail
of the spaceship in front (point A) to the nose of the other spaceship
(point B). At time zero in that frame both spaceships start
accelerating. The way I read the problem, the spacecraft are stipulated
to accelerate in such a manner that the projected (onto frame O)
separation of point A and point B never changes. You have them
accelerating such that an accelerometer on the tail of the lead
spaceship always has the same reading as an accelerometer on the nose of
the trailing spacecraft. That's a different problem.


-----Original Message-----
From: phys-l-bounces@carnot.physics.buffalo.edu
[mailto:phys-l-bounces@carnot.physics.buffalo.edu] On Behalf
Of John Denker
Sent: Thursday, June 17, 2010 4:50 AM
To: Forum for Physics Educators
Subject: Re: [Phys-l] how to explain relativity

On 06/15/2010 10:50 AM, William Maddox wrote:

To go along with the astronaut/twin "paradox" there is a less well
known paradox involving length contraction. It is known as the
rocket-rope paradox and as Bell's spaceship paradox. If
interested see this website:
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bell%27s_spaceship_paradox

That wikipedia article says the paradox ...
"was first designed by E. Dewan and M. Beran in 1959 as an
argument for the physical reality of length contraction."

I suppose y'all can predict where I come down on this.


_______________________________________________
Forum for Physics Educators
Phys-l@carnot.physics.buffalo.edu
https://carnot.physics.buffalo.edu/mailman/listinfo/phys-l