Re: Two photons... relative distance question



First of all let me thank you very much for the amount of time and
effort you put into that reply. It would take me months and cost a bit
in text books to get up to speed to be able to work this all out with
confidence, whereas what I am wanting to do is run through one or two
simple examples to understand how the *interpretation* of SR applies.
So I appreciate your response.

Now to the question, I think you have answered it. What is x_B' when
t_B' = 0.
I didn't think of calling the base time zero.
But I am still a bit puzzled. It's probably my terminology. I would
understand better if your first answer was working out t_B': the time
in frame 2 when x_B' = x_B (when photon B is 1.5 light-seconds away
from photon A in both frames). But why work out a time AND distance?
Could it be because we are talking light-seconds instead of meters? I
doubt it. It may be that you were treating the two photons' positions
on the X-axis in frame 1 into being "events" which you are then
relating to in frame 2. Yes, I think so. And that was very helpful to
me because your answer showed me something I have not cottoned on to
properly yet.
The scenario I'm looking at is:
If x_A = x_A' = 0 (the two frames are aligned in orientation and
position wrt A)
t_A = t_B = 0 (at moment zero in frame 1)
t_A = t_A' = 0 (and the same moment wrt A in frame 2)
then surely t_A' = t_B' = 0? (that moment in frame 2 is the same moment
for all spatial locations of frame 2?)
But from your answers it looks to me like SR claims t_B <> t_B' ?!

.



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