Re: Two photons... relative distance question

In article <1115460223.017965.207910@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx>,
Curious <anthonyroseuk-curious@xxxxxxxxxxx> wrote:
>In any frame, if the time t is a particular value, is the time not that
>same value for any location in that frame?

If two events at different spatial locations are simultaneous in one
inertial reference frame, in general they are not simultaneous in another
inertial reference frame which is moving with respect to the first frame.

To put it another way, if you set up two or more clocks that are
stationary at different spatial locations in one inertial reference frame,
and synchronize them in that reference frame, then in general, they will
not be synchronized in other inertial reference frames. In each frame,
they will tick at the same rate (different rates in different frames), but
they will be "shifted" with respect to each other.

This is the phenomenon of "relavitity of simultaneity" which is every bit
as important as length contraction and time dilation. Do a Google search
on the phrase and you will find many references to it.

--
Jon Bell <jtbell@xxxxxxxxxx> Presbyterian College
Dept. of Physics and Computer Science Clinton, South Carolina USA
.

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