Lorentz Transformation for dummies, please?

Question

Lorentz Transformation for dummies, please?

Answer 1

Lorentz Transformation For Dummies

Answer 2

For the best answers, search on this site https://shorturl.im/av94w



> "if I travel at the velocity of light for 1 second..." You can't travel at the velocity of light for 1 second. If you turn that same equation around (solve for t(0), setting v=c), you'll see that, for any value of "t", the value of "t(o)" will be zero. The physical interpretation is that NO TIME at all passes, from the point of view of the light beam. If somehow you were able to travel at lightspeed, you would reach any destination instantaneously (from your point of view), while any amount of time (1 minute, 1 year, or a billion years) may have passed from the point of view of a different reference frame.

Answer 3

Back in the '90s I did a series of post on a BBS about the theory of relativity. In that series I explained about FitzGerald and Lorentz and how Einstein used their Formulas in Relativity and also how they were derived from the Michelson-Morley experiemnt.



It is way to long to put here and in includes an illustration, but if you will send me your E-Mail address, I will mail it to you.



I think it will help you. . .

Answer 4

Do not bother with them if you are trying to figure out conceptually what is going on. They are simply the mathematical means of expressing the phenomena. Why don't you go down to the library and read this book: http://www.amazon.com/Space-Special-Relativity-David-Mermin/dp/0881334200/ref=sr_1_5?ie=UTF8&s=books&qid=1245585417&sr=8-5

Answer 5

You shouldnt start with lorentz transformations. Length contraction and time dilation can be intuitively understood using the "train and platform though experiment". Its too long for yahoo answers really, so

read about it here:



http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Relativity_of_simultaneity



If you have problems understanding it, which everybody does to start by the way, try to nail down what your main issue is and post a specific question on it up here. Good luck, its worth the read. If you start to think, "hang on... doesnt that mean..." then you've got it.