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How to Understand the Twin Paradox

Received: 18 August 2015     Accepted: 20 October 2015     Published: 20 October 2015
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Abstract

The twin paradox is often misunderstood, both in textbook and science popularizations. This article is intended to help clarify misconceptions involving the famous thought experiment. Of special importance is how we define the inertial frame in special theory of relativity. Another common factor that is overlooked involves the difference between time dilation, which is a consequence of the Lorentz transformations and the concept of look back time, which is independent of that. The concept of the invariant space-time interval and Minkowski diagrams are used in making these issues clearer.

Published in Advances in Sciences and Humanities (Volume 1, Issue 3)
DOI 10.11648/j.ash.20150103.12
Page(s) 55-59
Creative Commons

This is an Open Access article, distributed under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International License (http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/), which permits unrestricted use, distribution and reproduction in any medium or format, provided the original work is properly cited.

Copyright

Copyright © The Author(s), 2015. Published by Science Publishing Group

Keywords

Twin Paradox, Time Dilatation, Inertial Frame, Space-Time, Minkowski Diagrams, Special Theory of Relativity

References
[1] C. W. Misner, K. S. Thorne, and J. A. Wheeler, Gravitation. W. H. Freeman & Company, New York, USA (1973).
[2] A. P. French, Special Relativity. W. W. Norton & Company, New York, USA (1968).
[3] M. Born, Einstein's Theory of Relativity, Tr. by H. L. Brose. Methuen & Company, London, UK (1924).
[4] J. Ogborn, Introducing Relativity: Less May be More. Physics Education 40, 213-222 (2005).
[5] E. F. Taylor and J. A. Wheeler, Spacetime Physics: Introduction to Special Relativity. W. H. Freeman & Company, New York, USA (1992).
[6] H. A. Lorentz, A. Einstein, H. Minkowski, and H. Weyl, The Principle of Relativity: A Collection of Original Memoirs on the Special and General Theory of Relativity, with Notes by A. Sommerfeld, Tr. by W. Perrett and G.B. Jeffery. Dover Publications, New York, USA (1952).
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    Mark Louis Ricard. (2015). How to Understand the Twin Paradox. Advances in Sciences and Humanities, 1(3), 55-59. https://doi.org/10.11648/j.ash.20150103.12

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    ACS Style

    Mark Louis Ricard. How to Understand the Twin Paradox. Adv. Sci. Humanit. 2015, 1(3), 55-59. doi: 10.11648/j.ash.20150103.12

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    Mark Louis Ricard. How to Understand the Twin Paradox. Adv Sci Humanit. 2015;1(3):55-59. doi: 10.11648/j.ash.20150103.12

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  • @article{10.11648/j.ash.20150103.12,
      author = {Mark Louis Ricard},
      title = {How to Understand the Twin Paradox},
      journal = {Advances in Sciences and Humanities},
      volume = {1},
      number = {3},
      pages = {55-59},
      doi = {10.11648/j.ash.20150103.12},
      url = {https://doi.org/10.11648/j.ash.20150103.12},
      eprint = {https://article.sciencepublishinggroup.com/pdf/10.11648.j.ash.20150103.12},
      abstract = {The twin paradox is often misunderstood, both in textbook and science popularizations. This article is intended to help clarify misconceptions involving the famous thought experiment. Of special importance is how we define the inertial frame in special theory of relativity. Another common factor that is overlooked involves the difference between time dilation, which is a consequence of the Lorentz transformations and the concept of look back time, which is independent of that. The concept of the invariant space-time interval and Minkowski diagrams are used in making these issues clearer.},
     year = {2015}
    }
    

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    AB  - The twin paradox is often misunderstood, both in textbook and science popularizations. This article is intended to help clarify misconceptions involving the famous thought experiment. Of special importance is how we define the inertial frame in special theory of relativity. Another common factor that is overlooked involves the difference between time dilation, which is a consequence of the Lorentz transformations and the concept of look back time, which is independent of that. The concept of the invariant space-time interval and Minkowski diagrams are used in making these issues clearer.
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Author Information
  • Independent Researcher, Monroeville, United States

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