- #1
sjkelleyjr
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Please take this post with a grain of salt as I am a computer scientist and not a mathematician or physicist. I started in on Einstein's Relativity: The Special and The General, and just finished the section on the train thought experiment involving simultaneity. I then started in on the Lorentz section following that, and I feel I understand the math involved fairly well. So I believe fully in what is being said in the thought experiment, however I feel Einstein had to kind of "dumb it down" for the general populace and I feel this is leading to my confusion. Here's why.
If we take a snapshot of the train at the moment the lightning strikes hit (i.e. the moment of simultaneity to the embankment observer) why does the velocity of the train have anything to do with this moment? In my mind I'm stopping everything at this exact moment in time (even though there isn't anyone "exact" moment) and since the speed of light is constant, wouldn't the lightning bolts reach the midpoint of the train simultaneously regardless of the velocity of the train?
Writing it out now I feel like my problem is my attempt to "snapshot" the train. In reality time is still moving forward, and thus velocity does become a factor. Is this where my confusion lies?
Again, I understand the Lorentz transforms and how velocity effects these, and I must admit I feel safer in the realm of math than the thought experiment. As stated in this post "there is absolutely no ambiguity in the math, and it is quite clear what Einstein is saying." and I agree.
Thanks!
If we take a snapshot of the train at the moment the lightning strikes hit (i.e. the moment of simultaneity to the embankment observer) why does the velocity of the train have anything to do with this moment? In my mind I'm stopping everything at this exact moment in time (even though there isn't anyone "exact" moment) and since the speed of light is constant, wouldn't the lightning bolts reach the midpoint of the train simultaneously regardless of the velocity of the train?
Writing it out now I feel like my problem is my attempt to "snapshot" the train. In reality time is still moving forward, and thus velocity does become a factor. Is this where my confusion lies?
Again, I understand the Lorentz transforms and how velocity effects these, and I must admit I feel safer in the realm of math than the thought experiment. As stated in this post "there is absolutely no ambiguity in the math, and it is quite clear what Einstein is saying." and I agree.
Thanks!