Re: Query about simultaneous events..

From: Dirk Van de moortel (dirkvandemoortel_at_ThankS-NO-SperM.hotmail.com)
Date: 08/25/04 

Date: Wed, 25 Aug 2004 17:00:48 +0200

"Nick Maclaren" <nmm1@cus.cam.ac.uk> wrote in message news:cgi85l$idc$1@pegasus.csx.cam.ac.uk...
>
> In article <55ec432f.0408250051.1edd657f@posting.google.com>,
> aweston@connectfree.co.uk (Tony Weston) writes:
> |>
> |> >Events which are simultaneous with reference to the embankment are
> |> not
> |> >simultaneous with respect to the train, and vice versa (relativity of
> |> >simultaneity). Every reference-body (co-ordinate system) has its own
> |> >particular time ; unless we are told the reference-body to which the
> |> >statement of time refers, there is no meaning in a statement of the
> |> >time of an event.
>
> That is commonly stated, but the last sentence is misleading to
> the point of being erroneous.
>
> There are other concepts of simultaneity, including at least one
> for events in two different frames of reference. Note that the
> model being used to make the above claim is one with 4 frames of
> reference:
>
> Observer A
> Observer B
> Event X
> Event Y

The text explicitly says:
    "the lightning strokes A and B are simultaneous with
     respect to be embankment"
and
    "But the events A and B also correspond to..."
so I think it is better to continue treating A and B as
events.

>
> The standard statement is that you must fix on a single observer
> to make simultaneity meaningful, but it is also possible if you
> state that event X must occur in observer A's frame and event Y
> in B's.

Events do not occur in one particular frame.
Events just occur. Period.

Dirk Vdm

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