Einstein's (Nut-job of a) Theory : If there were twins, Twin A and Twin B, and Twin A was to depart... (read)

Question

If there were identical (not paternal) twins, Twin A and Twin B, on Earth; and Twin A was to depart to a very, very, very distant star and comeback (in a spacecraft of course) in a speed of light (hypothetically duh) who would look older and from which perspective?

1.) From Twin A's perspective: Twin B would look older

2.) From Twin A's perspective: Twin B would look younger

3.) From Twin B's perspective: Twin A would look older

4.) From Twin B's perspective: Twin A would look younger

5.) Neither, from any perspective, would look older or younger.

***HINT: more than one answer MAY apply***

=)

Have fun boggling your minds! =)

Answer 1

1 and 4.

According to Einstein's calculations, the faster one goes, the slower time moves--for HIM. This has actually been verified using atomic clocks synchronized on Earth, and sending one into orbit.

So if time moves slower for Twin A, then he will feel separated from Twin B for a short time, but when he returns, Twin B will be older. Twin B will experience his twin's absence for a longer period of time, and will see his twin at a younger age when he returns.

Answer 2

The answers 1 and 4 are correct.

Please let me expand on that response.

There's a very strange thing about the human mind. Consider the following analogy:

Two people A and B drive from C to D and back to C again. A drives in a very circuitous route and B drives in a straight line. They arrive back at the same point at the same time. Everyone appreciates that A covers a much greater distance along his or her double journey than B, who goes straight there and back.

Now let's have them do the same thing again, except that A goes rushing off in a space ship on his circuitous route from C to D and back again, while B travels the same journey direct and back, obviously at a slower speed. Both keep an eye on the watches that they carry with them. When they simultaneously get back to C, they compare their watches and find that they are reading different elapsed times, in the sense that the faster travelling person's watch shows less elapsed time.

Many people find this latter fact completely bizarre and unacceptable.

In other words, it's quite acceptable that a journey beginning and ending at the same point will involve covering different distances depending on the route taken, but it's NOT acceptable that they will have "covered" different times. This shows that the behaviour of spacetime does not accord with our separate expectations from experiencing space and time at our usual slow speeds.

Yet the fact is this. The way that the world works is that the "shortest" journeys involve LESS distance elapsing but MORE time elapsing, when one compares the xeperience of two travelers who start from a given point and arrive simultaneously at another.

Live long and prosper.

Answer 3

Twin A would look younger in Twin B's Perspective.
therefore
Twin B would look older in Twin A's perspective... Because of the whole time space continuum thing.... you know. smile

Answer 4

well, to begin with, 1 and 4 are the same, and 2 and 3 are the same.
That settled, Einstein's theory of ***special*** relativity, special meaning in the absence of gravity or acceleration, doesn't apply, since one twin is clearly accelerated three times; to get moving, to turn around, and to stop. You are left with general relativity, which is a lot more complicated.
Anyway, to give you the short answer, it's 1 and 4.

Answer 5

Twin A would be younger then B, so answers 1) and 4) would be true.

Answer 6

Lets see, if (I) run in one direction, so far, then run right back to where (I) started from, to any observer, who didn't see me run, nothing happened.

Answer 7

No thanks, I know the answer.

Have fun looking it up for yourself, Mr. Boggled!