The slowing of time???

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Posted by Kelv on January 21, 19101 at 08:18:40:

First of all, I think your pages are great!!! You explained difficult ideas in simple terms!!

I am very interested in and curious about the subject and have some questions. On your "the slowing of time" page, at the end of the first paragraph, it says "the passage of time will slow down." I don't really understand. When you move the timing device horizontally, the photon has to travel a longer distance (diagonal, rather than vertical). With a constant speed, it makes sense that it's gonna take a longer duration to travel a longer distance. I just don't know how the above fact can jump to the conclusion "time slowing down," because time didn't really slow down. In this case, we just went for a longer distance and we used up more time.

In the second last paragraph, it says "This is not the case with light. If you run away from it, it is still approaching you at the speed of light from your point of view." I understand what you are stating, but can you explain why (it's different from the baseball), please?

In the last paragraph, it talks about Bob, Fred, and the light bulb in a train. I think no matter from where you see it, the light should arrive at both Bob and Fred at the same time. Let's say the train is moving from left to right at speed K. Since Fred, Bob and the light bulb are in the train, too, they are moving from left to right at speed K. When we turn on the light bulb, the light travels to Fred at c+K and to Bob at -c+K. So, from outside of the train, the viewer should see the light arrives at Bob and Fred at the same time, too!

I understand the last point violates that light travels at c, no matter you're running away or toward the light source. Since I don't understand why it behaves that way, I cannot use it as it's true to understand other things.

Last thing, rather than challenge the theories, I am only intended to understand them and find out which parts I didn't undertand correctly. (since it's already known that light does only travel at c, not c+K)

Thank you!

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: First of all, I think your pages are great!!! You explained difficult ideas in simple terms!! : I am very interested in and curious about the subject and have some questions. On your "the slowing of time" page, at the end of the first paragraph, it says "the passage of time will slow down." I don't really understand. When you move the timing device horizontally, the photon has to travel a longer distance (diagonal, rather than vertical). With a constant speed, it makes sense that it's gonna take a longer duration to travel a longer distance. I just don't know how the above fact can jump to the conclusion "time slowing down," because time didn't really slow down. In this case, we just went for a longer distance and we used up more time. : In the second last paragraph, it says "This is not the case with light. If you run away from it, it is still approaching you at the speed of light from your point of view." I understand what you are stating, but can you explain why (it's different from the baseball), please? : In the last paragraph, it talks about Bob, Fred, and the light bulb in a train. I think no matter from where you see it, the light should arrive at both Bob and Fred at the same time. Let's say the train is moving from left to right at speed K. Since Fred, Bob and the light bulb are in the train, too, they are moving from left to right at speed K. When we turn on the light bulb, the light travels to Fred at c+K and to Bob at -c+K. So, from outside of the train, the viewer should see the light arrives at Bob and Fred at the same time, too! : I understand the last point violates that light travels at c, no matter you're running away or toward the light source. Since I don't understand why it behaves that way, I cannot use it as it's true to understand other things. : Last thing, rather than challenge the theories, I am only intended to understand them and find out which parts I didn't undertand correctly. (since it's already known that light does only travel at c, not c+K) : Thank you!

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