Question

Lorentzy question.

Answer 1

What IS Lorentz contraction and about which point does the contraction occur?
How do Lorentz contractions relate to Lorentz transformations (that is, how are Lorentz contractions applied in relativistic dynamics)?

Answer 2

if any object moves at relativistic speed the length contracts. this is known as lorentz contraction. the contraction is given by the formulas of lorentz transformation.

Answer 3

I understood that far already, but wanted to know more about the formalities of it.

Answer 4

To start more specifically: about which point does the contraction occur?

Answer 5

center of mass remain same. so it occur from both the side, i guess

Answer 6

Are you sure that the COM remains in the same place?

Answer 7

with respect to ends, as it is moving at high speed, so with respect to other frame of refference it is movig.

Answer 8

1:Is the frame of reference of the spaceship squished also? It seems a little trivial to define an 'object' and make the entire object contract around its centre of mass- I doubt this is the case.

2:OK- here's a concrete example.
You measure a spaceship to be travelling at 0.5c. You also see a plant, radius R, travelling in the same direction at 0.1c. What does the spaceship see the length of the planet to be?

Answer 9

\[l=l _{o}(1-v ^{2}/c ^{2})^{1/2}\]

Answer 10

where lo is the original radius

Answer 11

dimention along the direction of motion changes not perpendicular to the motion