Re: Don't believe in SR? Do you believe in magnetism?

On Jul 15, 1:36 pm, xray4abc <lemhen...@xxxxxxxx> wrote:
On Jul 15, 11:11 am, Uncle Ben <b...@xxxxxxxxxxx> wrote:



It was the evolving understanding of electromagnetism in the 19th
century that led to the theory of special relativity.

As we learn in Physics 1  (or maybe 2),  A magnetic field is produced
by a moving electric charge and acts on a moving charge.

But ever since Galilleo, physicists have thought that velocity is
relative. Who among us is REALLY moving?  The question made no sense.
You are on one train and I am on another, and either of us can claim
to be at rest in some frame of reference.

So what is this nonsense about a "moving" electric charge?  Moving
with respect to what? That was the problem.

By the time that JC Maxwell summarized and extended the theory of
electromagnetism, other physicists had to face this question:  Is
there a unique frame of reference with respect to which motion could
be referred?  It would have to be the frame of the medium (presumed to
exist) that supported light waves.  Light speed was a quantity that
appears in Maxwell's equations, and the equations predicted the
existence of waves of electromagnetic fields.

This problem led to the search for the luminiferous aether, which
never war found.

An even simpler problem is the following:  Suppose an electrically
charged ping-pong ball moves past us; does it produce a magnetic
field?  Maxwell says yes.  OK, now run alongside the ping-pong ball;
With respect to your frame of reference, does the ping-pong ball still
produce a magnetic field?  Now Maxwell has a problem.  The charge now
is not moving w.r.t. you, so it should not produce a magnetic field.

As the SR doubters now shout about length and time, "Well, which is
it? Does it or doesn't it produce a magnetic field?"

The answer is, it depends.  It depends on your frame of reference. IT
IS RELATIVE, NOT ABSOLUTE.

      The answer to your actual question should be : It doesn't!

So you doubters of SR out there, are you going to deny
electromagnetism?  Magnetism is a relativistic phenomenon, discovered
before the theory existed.  Is it real?  Is it only apparent?  If you
can answer this question about magnetic fields, you should apply the
same answer to length and time, which SR shows also to be relative,
not absolute.

                  In my view, not necessarily!
In your other thread ( where I gave my vote!)I gave an example
 of judgement for  illustration purposes.
I preferred that way, as the underlying idea, which could be
called maybe " self-consistence" or "self-sufficiency" of
an IRF, seemed to be incomprehensible for the guys in the news-groups.
(I tried to test discreetly if anybody could have a grasp of it
in the news-groups, some time before).

Or will you call Maxwell, Faraday, Lorentz, and Poincare "stupid" as
you call Einstein?

                     I am neither anti-relativist nor rude.
I have a great respect for the work of all the above guys.
Still, I think that SRT (and not only SRT) needs some clean-up.



Uncle Ben

Best regards, LL- Hide quoted text -

- Show quoted text -

Thank you for your courtesy. You are a gentleman.
.

Relevant Pages

  • Re: Dont believe in SR? Do you believe in magnetism?
    ... century that led to the theory of special relativity. ... by a moving electric charge and acts on a moving charge. ... electromagnetism, other physicists had to face this question: ...
    (sci.physics.relativity)
  • Re: Dont believe in SR? Do you believe in magnetism?
    ... century that led to the theory of special relativity. ... by a moving electric charge and acts on a moving charge. ... electromagnetism, other physicists had to face this question: ...
    (sci.physics.relativity)
  • Re: Dont believe in SR? Do you believe in magnetism?
    ... century that led to the theory of special relativity. ... by a moving electric charge and acts on a moving charge. ... electromagnetism, other physicists had to face this question: ... so it should not produce a magnetic field. ...
    (sci.physics.relativity)
  • Dont believe in SR? Do you believe in magnetism?
    ... It was the evolving understanding of electromagnetism in the 19th ... century that led to the theory of special relativity. ... As we learn in Physics 1, A magnetic field is produced ... by a moving electric charge and acts on a moving charge. ...
    (sci.physics.relativity)
  • Re: Dont believe in SR? Do you believe in magnetism?
    ... century that led to the theory of special relativity. ... by a moving electric charge and acts on a moving charge. ... electromagnetism, other physicists had to face this question: ...
    (sci.physics.relativity)