• Two trolleys on the rail

    From Luigi Fortunati@21:1/5 to All on Sun Nov 6 20:07:08 2022
    In my animation
    https://www.geogebra.org/m/ytws9kbr
    there are two trolleys that start from stationary on the rail and
    accelerate to speed v=0.866c (range=2).

    In one case, the two carriages remain at the same distance (and the belt
    does not break), in the other the trolley B moves twice as far away from
    the trolley A (and the belt breaks): which of the two conditions is
    correct?

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  • From Richard Livingston@21:1/5 to Luigi Fortunati on Tue Nov 8 08:37:33 2022
    On Monday, November 7, 2022 at 2:15:04 AM UTC-6, Luigi Fortunati wrote:
    In my animation
    https://www.geogebra.org/m/ytws9kbr
    there are two trolleys that start from stationary on the rail and
    accelerate to speed v=0.866c (range=2).

    In one case, the two carriages remain at the same distance (and the belt
    does not break), in the other the trolley B moves twice as far away from
    the trolley A (and the belt breaks): which of the two conditions is
    correct?

    The animation appears to be as seen in a frame that is accelerating with carriage A, and I think you intend that both start at the same time, in the initial rest frame. In that case the top animation with the carriages pulling apart is mostly correct.

    I say mostly correct because the animation does not take into account how
    the observers in carriage A will see only a delayed image of B, and thus
    when starting up will initially see B stationary for a moment before the
    light from B gets to A. In fact A will always see a delayed image of B,
    yet the string will stretch and break. Likewise, initially the string will not be pulled by B, as seen at A, until the acceleration of B can
    propagate down the string at the speed of sound.

    Also you do not show the Lorentz contraction of the railroad ties as the carriages speed increases. That is happening also.

    Rich L.

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  • From Sylvia Else@21:1/5 to Luigi Fortunati on Tue Nov 8 22:33:00 2022
    On 07-Nov-22 6:07 am, Luigi Fortunati wrote:
    In my animation
    https://www.geogebra.org/m/ytws9kbr
    there are two trolleys that start from stationary on the rail and
    accelerate to speed v=0.866c (range=2).

    In one case, the two carriages remain at the same distance (and the belt
    does not break), in the other the trolley B moves twice as far away from
    the trolley A (and the belt breaks): which of the two conditions is
    correct?

    The issue here lies in the expression "same acceleration" because it
    turns out that the accelerations cannot both remain the same as
    experienced by the trolleys, and the same as determined by an observer
    who remains at rest relative to the initial state.

    So you have to choose which it will be, and your choice will affect the outcome.

    Sylvia.

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  • From Jonathan Thornburg [remove -color t@21:1/5 to Luigi Fortunati on Thu Nov 10 15:36:34 2022
    Luigi Fortunati <fortunati.luigi@gmail.com> wrote:
    In my animation
    https://www.geogebra.org/m/ytws9kbr
    there are two trolleys that start from stationary on the rail and
    accelerate to speed v=0.866c (range=2).

    There's a very nice discussion of this in the physics FAQ:
    https://math.ucr.edu/home/baez/physics/Relativity/SR/BellSpaceships/spaceship_puzzle.html

    There's also a nice discussion of this paradox (including a link to
    the above physics FAQ article) in
    https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bell%27s_spaceship_paradox

    --
    -- "Jonathan Thornburg [remove -color to reply]" <dr.j.thornburg@gmail-pink.com>
    currently on the west coast of Canada
    "[I'm] Sick of people calling everything in crypto a Ponzi scheme.
    Some crypto projects are pump and dump schemes, while others are pyramid
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    skimming off the top. Stop glossing over the diversity in the industry."
    -- Pat Dennis, 2022-04-25

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  • From Luigi Fortunati@21:1/5 to All on Thu Nov 10 08:44:20 2022
    Sylvia Else marted=EC 08/11/2022 alle ore 15:33:00 ha scritto:
    In my animation
    https://www.geogebra.org/m/ytws9kbr
    there are two trolleys that start from stationary on the rail and
    accelerate to speed v=0.866c (range=2).

    In one case, the two carriages remain at the same distance (and the belt
    does not break), in the other the trolley B moves twice as far away from
    the trolley A (and the belt breaks): which of the two conditions is
    correct?

    The issue here lies in the expression "same acceleration" because it
    turns out that the accelerations cannot both remain the same as
    experienced by the trolleys, and the same as determined by an observer
    who remains at rest relative to the initial state.

    So you have to choose which it will be, and your choice will affect the outcome.

    Consider both cases individually.

    In the first case, which of the two conditions is correct?

    And in the second case?

    Luigi.

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  • From Luigi Fortunati@21:1/5 to All on Fri Nov 11 16:33:54 2022
    Jonathan Thornburg [remove -color to reply] giovedì 10/11/2022 alle ore 16:36:34 ha scritto:
    Luigi Fortunati <fortunati.luigi@gmail.com> wrote:
    In my animation
    https://www.geogebra.org/m/ytws9kbr
    there are two trolleys that start from stationary on the rail and
    accelerate to speed v=0.866c (range=2).

    There's a very nice discussion of this in the physics FAQ:

    https://math.ucr.edu/home/baez/physics/Relativity/SR/BellSpaceships/spaceship_puzzle.html

    There's also a nice discussion of this paradox (including a link to
    the above physics FAQ article) in
    https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bell%27s_spaceship_paradox

    Yes, my animation reproduces Bell's paradox, set on Earth instead of in
    space.

    The two trolleys have the same acceleration in the reference of the
    tracks where they maintain the same distance.

    But is the initial distance of only one rail and, therefore, neither of
    my two animations are correct?

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  • From Sylvia Else@21:1/5 to Luigi Fortunati on Fri Nov 11 21:57:28 2022
    On 11/11/2022 3:44 am, Luigi Fortunati wrote:
    Sylvia Else marted=EC 08/11/2022 alle ore 15:33:00 ha scritto:
    In my animation
    https://www.geogebra.org/m/ytws9kbr
    there are two trolleys that start from stationary on the rail and
    accelerate to speed v=0.866c (range=2).

    In one case, the two carriages remain at the same distance (and the belt >>> does not break), in the other the trolley B moves twice as far away from >>> the trolley A (and the belt breaks): which of the two conditions is
    correct?

    The issue here lies in the expression "same acceleration" because it
    turns out that the accelerations cannot both remain the same as
    experienced by the trolleys, and the same as determined by an observer
    who remains at rest relative to the initial state.

    So you have to choose which it will be, and your choice will affect the
    outcome.

    Consider both cases individually.

    In the first case, which of the two conditions is correct?

    And in the second case?

    Luigi.

    I think it would be more helpful for you to explain what you think will
    happen in the two cases, and why. Then we could look at your analysis.

    Sylvia.

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  • From Luigi Fortunati@21:1/5 to All on Sat Nov 12 13:30:06 2022
    Sylvia Else venerd=EC 11/11/2022 alle ore 14:57:28 ha scritto:
    In my animation
    https://www.geogebra.org/m/ytws9kbr
    there are two trolleys that start from stationary on the rail and
    accelerate to speed v=0.866c (range=2).

    In one case, the two carriages remain at the same distance (and the belt >>>> does not break), in the other the trolley B moves twice as far away from >>>> the trolley A (and the belt breaks): which of the two conditions is
    correct?

    The issue here lies in the expression "same acceleration" because it
    turns out that the accelerations cannot both remain the same as
    experienced by the trolleys, and the same as determined by an observer
    who remains at rest relative to the initial state.

    So you have to choose which it will be, and your choice will affect the
    outcome.

    Consider both cases individually.

    In the first case, which of the two conditions is correct?

    And in the second case?

    Luigi.

    I think it would be more helpful for you to explain what you think will happen in the two cases, and why. Then we could look at your analysis.

    Sylvia.

    I am on board of trolley A and, during acceleration, I see trolley B
    moving away from me by twice the initial distance (as Bell says in his explanation).

    At the same time, I see the distances between the track sleepers (the
    rail) shrinking.

    The effect of both causes increases the number of rails between me and
    trolley B from 1 to 4, as is the case at the top of my animation.

    But 4 rails between me and B contrast with my speed over the ground
    (v=0.866c range=2), for which there should only be 2 rails (twice as
    much) between me and B (as is the case at the Bottom of my animation)
    and not 4 rails.

    Hence my doubt that I was hoping someone could clarify, because if one
    solution is right, the other is wrong (and vice versa).

    Luigi

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  • From Sylvia Else@21:1/5 to Luigi Fortunati on Sat Nov 12 19:08:50 2022
    On 13/11/2022 8:30 am, Luigi Fortunati wrote:
    Sylvia Else venerd=EC 11/11/2022 alle ore 14:57:28 ha scritto:
    In my animation
    https://www.geogebra.org/m/ytws9kbr
    there are two trolleys that start from stationary on the rail and
    accelerate to speed v=0.866c (range=2).

    In one case, the two carriages remain at the same distance (and the belt >>>>> does not break), in the other the trolley B moves twice as far away from >>>>> the trolley A (and the belt breaks): which of the two conditions is
    correct?

    The issue here lies in the expression "same acceleration" because it
    turns out that the accelerations cannot both remain the same as
    experienced by the trolleys, and the same as determined by an observer >>>> who remains at rest relative to the initial state.

    So you have to choose which it will be, and your choice will affect the >>>> outcome.

    Consider both cases individually.

    In the first case, which of the two conditions is correct?

    And in the second case?

    Luigi.

    I think it would be more helpful for you to explain what you think will
    happen in the two cases, and why. Then we could look at your analysis.

    Sylvia.

    I am on board of trolley A and, during acceleration, I see trolley B
    moving away from me by twice the initial distance (as Bell says in his explanation).

    At the same time, I see the distances between the track sleepers (the
    rail) shrinking.

    The effect of both causes increases the number of rails between me and trolley B from 1 to 4, as is the case at the top of my animation.

    But 4 rails between me and B contrast with my speed over the ground
    (v=0.866c range=2), for which there should only be 2 rails (twice as
    much) between me and B (as is the case at the Bottom of my animation)
    and not 4 rails.

    Hence my doubt that I was hoping someone could clarify, because if one solution is right, the other is wrong (and vice versa).

    Luigi

    In this scenario, the choice you've made is that the two trolleys
    accelerate at the same rate as determined by the observer at rest
    relative to the initial state.

    They accelerate at different rates in their respective frames (which
    implies that differing, and indeed changing, forces are being applied to
    them). If the trolleys were connected by an inextensible tether, then it
    would break.

    Sylvia

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  • From Luigi Fortunati@21:1/5 to All on Sun Nov 13 10:10:34 2022
    Sylvia Else sabato 12/11/2022 alle ore 12:08:50 ha scritto:
    I am on board of trolley A and, during acceleration, I see trolley B
    moving away from me by twice the initial distance (as Bell says in his
    explanation).

    At the same time, I see the distances between the track sleepers (the
    rail) shrinking.

    The effect of both causes increases the number of rails between me and
    trolley B from 1 to 4, as is the case at the top of my animation.

    But 4 rails between me and B contrast with my speed over the ground
    (v=0.866c range=2), for which there should only be 2 rails (twice as
    much) between me and B (as is the case at the Bottom of my animation)
    and not 4 rails.

    Hence my doubt that I was hoping someone could clarify, because if one
    solution is right, the other is wrong (and vice versa).

    Luigi

    In this scenario, the choice you've made is that the two trolleys
    accelerate at the same rate as determined by the observer at rest
    relative to the initial state.

    They accelerate at different rates in their respective frames (which
    implies that differing, and indeed changing, forces are being applied to them). If the trolleys were connected by an inextensible tether, then it would break.

    Sylvia

    So the scenario of the top of my animation
    https://www.geogebra.org/m/ytws9kbr
    where the ribbon breaks is correct.

    But how do you justify the fact that reaching the speed v=0.866c
    (gamma=2) the distance between A and B (in the reference of the trolley=

    A) is 4 sleepers (quadruple) and not 2 (double)?

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