20 Jun 06
Originally posted by SuzianneWell you may be the know it all princess but you are wrong on the count of the one getting the 'change of acceleration' getting the time dilation effect. Its the absolute velocity not the acceleration that generates the dilation, the acceleration just gets you to a certain dilation rate faster. If you accel at one G for one year, roughly, then you will be close to C but most of the accel time you spend at the start can hardly be called relativistic, a few thousand Klicks/second won't do it. You have to be at 99% of C to get an appreciable dilation rate, just plug in the variables to that famous formula (1-V^2/C^2)^0.5 and you see you don't get much dilation under 99%C.
BOTH twins would age (unless you've figured out how to stop time).
The twin on Earth ages normally, and the twin in space more slowly, *relative* to the one on Earth. The twin in space ages normally, and the twin on Earth more quickly, *relative* to the one in space.
It is the one actually undergoing a change in acceleration that gets the "time dilat ...[text shortened]... actually believes what he spews out, in which case we should all just feel sorry for him).
20 Jun 06
Ok, I see your point but the question that has been asked is, the 2nd twin returnes to earth. So would the time dialation just = itself out? I still think that they are the same age. Think about light clocks. Call A the top. B the bottom, If light is const then if you know the distance between A /B, then that is your constant. Yes if things are moving away from you at speed, A stationary observer sees this diff, but the obsrv would see the returnig twin geting older, faster as she gets back to earth.
21 Jun 06
Originally posted by fakillNo. The time dilation does not = (cancel?) itself out. The twin that journeys to the star at relativistic speeds and then returns, will return physically younger. Time will have passed more slowly for him/her.
Ok, I see your point but the question that has been asked is, the 2nd twin returnes to earth. So would the time dialation just = itself out? I still think that they are the same age. Think about light clocks. Call A the top. B the bottom, If light is const then if you know the distance between A /B, then that is your constant. Yes if things are moving away fr ...[text shortened]... diff, but the obsrv would see the returnig twin geting older, faster as she gets back to earth.
Please stop "explaining" this to people - you are only confusing them. If people want a good explanation then go here: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Twin_paradox. Not too much mathematics and many objections and uncertainties are discussed.