[AST201H1] - Midterm Exam Guide - Ultimate 10 pages long Study Guide!
6 Feb 2017
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AST201H1 Full Course Notes
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Ast101 lecture 3: time dilation and the twin paradox. The speed of light: light always travels at c (in a vacuum, slightly slower in air, no object with mass can ever reach or exceed light speed. We can only measure motion relative to a given frame of reference. The speed of light is invariant it does not change with different frames of reference. In all frames of reference, the speed of light is the same. Foundations of special relativity: 1) we can only measure speeds of objects relative to one another (the laws of physics apply equally in all reference frames, 2) the speed of light is invariant. The fact that the speed of light is invariant results in some complicated implications and consequences. If someone is moving relative to you, their clock will appear to run slower: this is called time dilation. Observers in motion also disagree with each other about lengths and distances.
