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alan asked in Science & MathematicsPhysics · 9 years ago

If time varies depending on your velocity then how can we accurately measure distance?

We have seen direct evidence when astronauts return from space that their time has passed differently than our own on earth. So when we consider a star is 7 light years from earth and that light took 7 years for us to see the light itself is not 7 years in its own existence. This seems to conflict with e=mc2 considering that c is measured in m/s, but we already know s can vary depending what velocity you are traveling at when you are measuring what a second is. Also if we look at the speed barrier as the speed of light maybe i could see objects break that speed barrier since I am basing speed on my time and not the time the moving object is experiencing.

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  • Anonymous
    9 years ago
    Favorite Answer

    I am hoping you are young. That might help me understand why you posted an almost totally incoherent question. The alternative is that you require medical/psychiatric intervention.

    The null geodesic, which is what light travels on, is indeed without time.

    There is no conflict with E=mc². Since you didn't make a coherent argument to indicate how the frak you came to that conclusion, I am unable to address your error further.

    I am really really glad that you "could see objects break that speed barrier...". The good news is since you can "see" that, then you probably can see the tooth fairy and Nibiru also. Good luck with that.

    You make one point which may actually put you back on track. You are correct that the ONLY way that a ratio of distance to duration (c) can be a Universal constant is for both distance and time to

    vary. IF the time between two events in space-time is different for two observers, then the DISTANCE must also vary. d₁/t₁= d₂/t₂ for two observers in inertial rest frames 1 & 2.. The STARTING POINT for discussions of distance and time in Special Relativity is that c is constant for all inertial observers. All else follows from that. So, don't "tack on" the requirement that c is constant, rather you need to develop your physics with that as well established fact (which it is)

  • ?
    Lv 4
    5 years ago

    an extremely precise length of the time it takes a lazer beam to bypass from the earth's floor, mirror of the moon's floor and return to earth - an extremely exacting distance would properly be calculated with this wisdom.

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