POGIL: Time Dilation Much of special relativity is built on the postulate that the speed of light is the same

in a vacuum regardless of how the observer moves. This leads to surprising conclusions about the nature of time that are sure to blow your mind. A Light Clock at Rest Imagine a clock that keeps track of time by bouncing light between two mirrors that are 3 meters apart. When the light reaches the top mirror, it sounds off a tick; when the light reaches the bottom mirror, it sounds off a tock. The following diagram shows the clock with the path of the light beam as it travels between the two mirrors. upper mirror tick tock lower mirror It is important to keep in mind that in the diagram above we are observing the clock in a particular inertial reference frame. In this reference frame, the light clock is at rest. Any time intervals measured in such a reference frame are called a proper time intervals. 1. What is the speed of the light beam in this reference frame as it travels from the lower mirror to the upper mirror and back?

2. What is the distance traveled by the light beam in this reference frame from one tock to the next on the light clock described above?

3. What is the proper time interval between successive tocks on the light clock described above?

A Moving Light Clock Now suppose we observe the light clock in a different inertial reference frame in which it is in motion. The diagram below shows the light clock at three different positions as it moves.

tick tock 45

In the first position, the light beam is leaving the bottom mirror at a 45 angle; in the second, the light beam strikes the upper mirror and produces a tick; in the third, the light beam hits the bottom mirror and produces a tock. Notice that the path taken by the light beam has changed from when we observed it at rest. Notice also that the tick and tock are no longer sounded at the same places; the time interval we determine in this case is therefore NOT a proper time interval. 4. What is the speed of the light beam in this reference frame as it travels from the lower mirror to the upper mirror and back?

5. Use trigonometry to determine the light beam's vertical component of velocity in this reference frame.

6. How much time passes between successive tocks in this reference frame?

7. Compare your answers to questions 3 and 6 and suggest an explanation for any differences.

STOP HERE AND CHECK YOUR RESULTS WITH YOUR FRIENDLY PHYSICS TEACHER. Time Dilation One of the assumptions we have made in studying mechanics is that the time between two events is the same in all inertial reference frames. We did not state this assumption explicitly, but it sneaked in without our realizing it. The theory of special relativity shows that this assumption is incorrect. Instead, the motion of an object affects the passage of time itself. As an example, the diagram below shows Sam riding on a cart traveling at speed v relative to Frank. Frank I'm Sam. Oh yeah! v Sam eats dinner on his cart in a time interval to, as shown by his watch in his inertial reference frame. Frank, who is in a different inertial reference frame, measures a different time interval t in which Sam eats his dinner; this time interval is given by the equation

 t=

to

2 v , c2

where c is the speed of light. Take some time to read p. 972-974 to see where this equation comes from. 8. Suppose that in the situation above Sam eats his dinner in 15 minutes. (a) If Sam travels at a speed of 0.9c relative to Frank, how long does Frank say that it takes Sam to eat his dinner?

(b) If Sam travels at a speed of 0.5c relative to Frank, how long does Frank say that it takes Sam to eat his dinner?

(c) If Sam travels at a speed of 100 m/s relative to Frank, how long does Frank say that it takes Sam to eat his dinner?

(d) Suppose that Frank gets in his own cart and catches up to Sam so that they both travel at the same speed. How long does Frank say that it takes Sam to eat his dinner?

9. As Sam's speed relative to Frank approaches the speed of light, what happens to the time interval that Frank measures?

10. Suppose now that Frank decides to eat his dinner. He takes 15 minutes to do so as measured in his inertial reference frame. How long does Sam say that it takes Frank to eat his dinner if Sam's speed relative to Frank is 0.9c?