RELATIVITY OF

SIMULTANEITY
The Relativity of Simultaneity is
a key concept from Einstein’s
Special Theory of Relativity. It
states that events that appear
simultaneous to one observer
may not be simultaneous to
another observer moving relative
to the first.
Thought Experiment: Einstein’s Train
and Lightning
• Einstein explained this concept with a
famous train thought experiment.
Scenario
• A person standing on the train platform
sees two lightning bolts strike both ends of a
moving train at the same time.
• A person on the moving train also observes
the lightning strikes.
What Happens?
• To the observer on the platform, the lightning strikes
are simultaneous because they see both flashes at
the same time.
• To the observer on the train, however, the train is
moving toward one of the lightning bolts and away
from the other.
• Because light takes time to travel, the observer on
the train will see the lightning strike at the front of
the train first, and the one at the back later.
• Conclusion: Simultaneity is relative—two events
that are simultaneous in one frame of reference may
not be simultaneous in another.
 Relativity of Simultaneity

• Measuring times and time intervals involves the

concept of simultaneity. In a given frame of
reference, an event is an occurrence that has a
definite position and time
A Thought Experiment Simultaneity
 Time Dilation
• Time dilates: Time for moving objects appears to slow down.
• Measurements of time intervals are affected by the relative motion
between an observer and what is being observed.

• If an astronaut in a spacecraft finds that the time interval

between the events in the spacecraft is Δt’ someone on the
ground would find this same interval has the longer duration, Δt.
• Δt’ is called the property of the interval between the events.
• This is determined by the events that happen at the same place in an
observer’s frame of reference.
 Time Dilation
• When observing another reference frame, especially one that
approaches the speed of light, the moving reference frame’s
time interval changes.
• Here, the duration of the interval appears longer than the proper
time. This effect is called time dilation.
Time dilation is given as:
Where: Δt – time interval in the moving
frame (relativistic time)
Δt’ – time interval in the frame at rest
(proper time)
v – speed of relative motion
c – speed of light
 Time Dilation
Time dilation is given as:

Δt is always greater than Δt’ because the quantity is always

smaller than 1 for a moving object. Therefore, the moving clock in
the spacecraft appears to tick at a slower rate than the stationary
one on the ground, as seen by an observer on the ground.
 Time Dilation

Example: If an astronaut travels at 90% the

speed of light, their clock will tick slower
compared to someone on Earth. When they
return, they will have aged less than those
who stayed behind (this is called the Twin
Paradox).
Lorentz Factor (γ) – The Key to Relativity

The Lorentz factor (denoted as γ) is a

fundamental quantity in Einstein’s Theory of
Special Relativity. It describes how time,
length, and mass change for an object
moving at relativistic speeds (close to the
speed of light).
Lorentz Factor (γ) – The Key to Relativity

where:
• γ = Lorentz factor
• v = Velocity of the moving object
• c = Speed of light (3.0×108 m/s)
Lorentz Factor (γ) – The Key to Relativity

Why is the Lorentz Factor Important?

• The Lorentz factor appears in:
Time Dilation: Moving clocks tick slower
Length Contraction: Moving objects shrink
along their direction of motion
Relativistic Mass: Moving objects appear to
have more mass
 Example Problem: Calculating (γ)
A spaceship moves at 0.8c. What is its Lorentz factor?

Answer: γ=1.67, meaning time slows down by 1.67 times for the
spaceship compared to an observer on Earth.
Sample Problem for Time Dilation
PROBLEM 1:
An astronaut travels in a spaceship at 90% the speed of light
(v=0.9) to a distant star. The trip takes 10 years according to
clocks on Earth. How much time does the astronaut experience?

PROBLEM 2:
Muons are subatomic particles that decay in 2.2 microseconds
(μs) when at rest. If a muon moves at 0.998c, how long will it
appear to live according to an observer on Earth?
Sample Problem for Time Dilation
PROBLEM 3:

A spaceship travels to Alpha Centauri (4.37 light-years

away) at 80% the speed of light (v=0.8c). How long
does the trip appear to take for:
(a) An observer on Earth?
(b) The astronaut on the spaceship?
 Length Shrinks
Moving objects appear shorter.
Measurements of lengths are affected by relative motion.
The length (l) of an object in motion with respect to an observer
always appears to the observer shorter than its (l’) when it is at
rest with respect to him. This length contraction happens only in
the direction of relative motion. The length (l’) is called its proper
length.
Length contraction is given as I – length measurement of the
moving frame (relativistic length)
l’ – length measurement of the frame
at rest (proper length)
V – speed of the moving frame
C – speed of light
Sample Problem 1: A spaceship is 100 m long when
measured at rest. If it moves at 80% the speed of light (0.8c),
what is its length as seen by an observer on Earth?

Sample Problem 2: A train is 200 meters long when at rest. If

it moves at 0.9c, how long does it appear to an observer
standing on the platform?

Sample Problem 3: A muon produced in the upper atmosphere

is traveling at 0.998c. If its proper length is 2 meters, what
length does it appear to an observer on Earth?
 Mass Increases
Moving objects appear to be more massive.
Relativistic mass is given as

where: m – relativistic mass

m’ – mass of the object at rest

The mass of an object moving at the speed v relative to an

observer is larger than its mass when at rest relative to the
observer by the factor . Increase in relativistic mass is significant
only at speeds approaching that of light.
 The dramatic consequence of time dilation is
the fact that an astronaut in a spacecraft
traveling near the speed of light would not age as
fact as the men left behind on Earth.
Another consequence of the special theory
of relativity is that nothing can travel faster than
the speed of light. If the object travels as fast as
light, its mass becomes infinitely great. Since
there is no infinite force available to make the
object move faster, its speed levels off, and it
approaches the speed of light as a limit.
 The equivalence of mass and energy, shown
by the famous equation E = mc2, is the final
major consequence of the special theory of
relativity.

This equation state that a mass of an object

is able to produce an equivalent amount of
energy. The m being referred to by the equation
is called rest mass, or the mass of an object
when it is at rest in a certain reference frame.
The energy, E, is called rest energy.
 For example, an electron with a rest mass of 9.1 x
10-31 kg has an equivalent rest energy of 8.19 x 10 10-15
J. Therefore, the rest energy produced is great
compared to the amount of rest mass. This is the
principle used in nuclear reactions. When a substance,
like uranium, separates into different parts, the
difference in the mass of the substance from the
separated parts is converted into energy.
PROBLEM 1: A spaceship has a rest mass of 2,000 kg.
If it moves at 0.9c, what is its relativistic mass?

PROBLEM 2: A proton has a rest mass of 1.67×10−27 kg.

If it moves at 0.99c, what is its relativistic mass?

PROBLEM 3: An electron has a rest mass of 9.11×10−31

kg. If it moves at 0.95c, what is its relativistic mass?