HOUR 21

Relativity of Simultaneity; Time

dilation; Length contraction
 Simultaneity
• How can we say if two events are simultaneous?
– They occur at the same time!

• If two events are simultaneous in one frame, are

they simultaneous in others?
– Newtonian: YES! (absolute time)
– Relativistic: NO! (no absolute time)
Simultaneity
• Two events can be simultaneous in one frame,
but not in others!

– Effect of Lorentz transformation

– 𝑡′ ≠ 𝑡
Simultaneity

• For a given rocket frame,

– Same time: Δ𝑡 ′ = 0
– Same place: Δ𝑥 ′ = 0
Simultaneity
• Recall invariance of spacetime interval:

Δ𝑡 ′ 2 − Δ𝑥 ′ 2 = Δ𝑡 2 − Δ𝑥 2

For events that occur at the same time,

Δ𝑥 ′ 2 = Δ𝑥 2 − Δ𝑡 2

Events occuring at the same time should be spacelike!

Simultaneity
• Recall invariance of spacetime interval:

Δ𝑡 ′ 2 − Δ𝑥 ′ 2 = Δ𝑡 2 − Δ𝑥 2

For events that occur at the same place,

Δ𝑡 ′ 2 = Δ𝑡 2 − Δ𝑥 2

Events occuring at the same place should be timelike!

Example
Event A has spacetime coordinates (5.00, -3.00).
Which of the following events can occur at the
same place as A?

1. (5.00, 2.00)
2. (3.00, -2.00)
3. (1.00, 5.00)

Solve for intervals!

Example
Event A has spacetime coordinates (5.00, -3.00).
Which of the following events can occur at the
same place as A?

1. (5.00, 2.00) : spacelike

2. (3.00, -2.00) : timelike
3. (1.00, 5.00) : spacelike

Only event 2 can occur at the same place as A!

Concept test!!!

Which of the following

points can occur at the
same time as Event D?

A. B and E
B. A and C
C. A and B
D. none
Concept test!!!

Which of the following

points can occur at the
same place as Event D?

A. B and E
B. A and C
C. A and B
D. none
Time dilation
Time dilation
• Rocket frames and lab frames measure time
intervals differently!

 Concept of wristwatches: Same place!

 Moving clock ≠ Stationary clock
Recall: Lorentz transformation (rocket
frame to lab frame)
Δ𝑡 = 𝛾Δ𝑡 ′ + 𝛾𝛽Δ𝑥′ Δ𝑥 = 𝛾𝛽Δ𝑡′ + 𝛾Δ𝑥′
1
where 𝛾= >1
1−𝛽 2

For same place,

Δ𝑡 = 𝛾Δ𝑡′
Time dilation
𝑇 = 𝛾𝑇0
𝑇 = time interval between events in the “lab frame”
𝑇0 = time interval between events in a frame where the
events occur at the same place (proper time)

𝑇 > 𝑇0 , implication?
• Moving clocks run slower!
• Recall: twin paradox
Example:
The lifetime of a muon, an elementary particle,
when it is at rest is 2.2𝜇𝑠. How long does it last
according to an observer on earth if it is moving
at 0.6?
Length contraction

• How do you measure length?

– Rulers, meter sticks...
– Same time!
– Must be spacelike.
Length contraction
If an object is stationary with respect to the laboratory
frame, then the length measured by a rocket moving
with respect to the lab frame is (from Lorentz
transformation):
𝐿0
𝐿=
𝛾
Length contraction
𝐿0
𝐿=
𝛾
𝐿0 = length where the object is stationary (proper
length)
𝐿 = length according to an observer where the object is
observed to be moving at velocity 𝛽

𝐿0 > 𝐿, implication?
• Object is longest in frame where it is stationary
Example
A rectangle with dimensions, L = 20m and W =
10m, is moving at 0.65 to the left relative to a
stationary observer. What is the area of the
rectangle according to the observer?
Quiz! (1/4 paper)
1.) A runner moves across a 10-m field. If the field
appears to be 8m according the runner, how fast is
the runner moving relative to the field?

2.) Alice observed an explosion at (2.0m, 5.0m) and

another explosion at (7.0m, 5.0m). If Alice is moving
at 0.6 relative to Bob, what would be the time
interval between the two explosions according to
Bob?