Now that we’ve used light clocks to show how the perception of time changes in different reference frames, let’s look at some really cool applications. Well what’s cooler than time travel? Since a clock moving fast by Earth seems to tick a little slower than a stationary clock on Earth, what happens if the moving clock is moving really fast for a long time?
Well depending on how fast the moving clock is traveling, just 10 seconds on the moving clock could be 100 years on Earth! This clock also doesn’t have to be moving passed earth like a spaceship flying by. It could simply be flying in an orbit around Earth, and never have to leave home!
Today, physicists have successfully accelerated particles to over 99% the speed of light! However, these particles are unimaginably small and have nearly zero mass. It would take massive amounts of energy to accelerate a spaceship to these speeds. But, if a new propulsion technique is invented, humans could theoretically sit in a spaceship for a month, and come back to a completely new Earth 100’s or 1000’s of years later!
To answer this question, we have to consider the term “relative”. That word tells us that we are comparing at least two things.
It isn’t enough for us to say that we are moving faster through time. Instead, we can only say we’re moving faster relative (as compared) to another observer.
Time itself doesn’t have speed. Rather, time is the measurement of one moment to the next. So, time doesn’t affect the way we move and function. Instead, time allows us to assess how we have been changed.
So if you’re moving really fast, you’re not moving faster through time, you’re actually moving slower through time. Right? Does time have a speed, or is it another element that changes the way things move and function?
Although it isn’t possible to travel anywhere close to the speed of light, let’s say that you could. There are some theories that say it may be possible to travel back in time by going faster than the speed of light.
However, this has to do with the funny things that happen with time as you approach the speed of light. Clocks and photons aren’t actually involved in this idea.
The theory says that if you travel faster than the speed of light, and return back to your starting point, you would arrive at a time earlier than when you left.
Won’t you go back in time if you go faster than light because then the photon in the clock will stop and then go backwards?
So.. Light only has one speed, right? The speed of light.
So if we boarded a really fast plane we could ‘travel into the future’? It’s kinda… okay really hard to believe!
Right!
So there is a way to time travel forward but no way (that we know of) to travel backwards.
Are you sure it’s not how you are thinking about what you mean by “time traveling”? You are traveling through time right now… one second, two seconds… ! 🙂
And yes, if you move fast enough, you can change the rate of the “ticks” on the clock in your frame of reference. This has been proven many, many times with super-fast flights around the world.
There is no such thing as time traveling!!!!!
I am not understanding your question… stopping your motion, or stopping time…? What is it you want to do?
Would completely stopping work a little?
No, there’s no current way to travel back in time, only forward. Time moves only in one direction. (I wish it was possible though!)
Since time time slows down on earth when traveling at light speed, instead of going forward, as in space , could it eventually go backwards to travel to the past? ( as in time travel )
It’s animated!
Is that green line an actual electron or is that just computer animated?
Laura