2007-02-28 23:35:27 · 6 answers · asked by Anonymous in Science & Mathematics ➔ Physics
Because, when at rest, we travel through time at the speed of light.
Think of it as a car doing runs on a salt lake (like those that you see to break spped records). The car's top speed is 300mph. Lets suppose Bob does 4 runs at different times, and each run his time from when he passes the start flag to when he reaches the end flag is longer. When Bob looks at the results, he realizes that his first run was a straight line, but his 2nd run was slightly akewed so that it wasn't a straight line but sloped to the left. The 3rd run was further sloped to the left and the 4th was even more so. Why were the times of the 2nd, 3rd and 4th runs longer?
Because in the 1st run, the car was using all its speed to travel on a straignt, lets say east-west, line. By the 2nd run, part of the cars speed was being used to travel on a north-south axis instead of on the east-west axis, so it took the car longer to travel the same distance in the east-west axis. So, as you see, since the car can only do 300mph max. the speed in one axis is relative to the speed in another axis (is afected by the speed in another axis).
Going back to my first postulate, that we travel through time at the speed of light. Space-time has 4 axis (east-west, north-south, up- down and time). At rest, we travel through time at the speed of light, but as soon as we start moving in any of the other axes, we start "bleeding" our time speed. This explains Einsteins paradox of an astronaut returning from a space mission to find his twin brother is older than him (he "bled" more speed from the time axis, while his brother was "stationary" and thus travelling at the speed of light through time). It also explains why nothing can travel faster than the speed of light.
2007-03-01 00:26:26 · answer #1 · answered by MSDC 4 · 0⤊ 0⤋
You have to be very careful how you ask questions in relativity. Motion is a relative thing, not an absolute thing. You can't simply say 'someone is going half the speed of light'; you have to say what that speed is relative to. Only the speed of light is the same for everyone.
Now for you answer. If someone goes past you at half the speed of light, say, you will see their clocks going a bit slower than yours. Similarly, they will see you going past *them* at half the speed of light and will see *your* clocks going a bit slower then theirs. Both of you will see your own clocks as going at a normal speed.
Why does this happen? Good question. The actual transformation is not simply a slowing in time, it's a kind of 4 dimensional rotation. The time interval you measure would have both a time and a space part for the other person. In essence, time intervals are not 'part of the universe'; they depend on who measures them.
2007-03-01 07:45:04 · answer #2 · answered by mathematician 7 · 1⤊ 0⤋
Its because the speed of light is the same for everyone.
The only way this can be the case is if time runs slower in a reference frame that is moving close to the speed of light realtive to you. Otherwise the person in the moving frame would measure a lower value for the speed of light from a flashlight you shone at him.
2007-03-01 07:54:11 · answer #3 · answered by Anonymous · 0⤊ 0⤋
Due to Time dilation
2007-03-01 12:20:37 · answer #4 · answered by Kevin 5 · 0⤊ 0⤋
no it doesnt
time doesnt slow down
it appears to b
U PERCEIVE it like that
c the answer given by mr. ''mathematician''
his answers r always very useful and informative
2007-03-01 08:07:09 · answer #5 · answered by Deranged Soul.. 2 · 0⤊ 0⤋
because time and space are relative
2007-03-01 07:44:25 · answer #6 · answered by Byakuya 7 · 0⤊ 1⤋