161 research outputs found
Einstein's "Zur Elektrodynamik..." (1905) Revisited, with Some Consequences
Einstein, in his "Zur Elektrodynamik bewegter Korper", gave a physical
(operational) meaning to "time" of a remote event in describing "motion" by
introducing the concept of "synchronous stationary clocks located at different
places". But with regard to "place" in describing motion, he assumed without
analysis the concept of a system of co-ordinates. In the present paper, we
propose a way of giving physical (operational) meaning to the concepts of
"place" and "co-ordinate system", and show how the observer can define both the
place and time of a remote event. Following Einstein, we consider another
system "in uniform motion of translation relatively to the former". Without
assuming "the properties of homogeneity which we attribute to space and time",
we show that the definitions of space and time in the two systems are linearly
related. We deduce some novel consequences of our approach regarding
faster-than-light observers and particles, "one-way" and "two-way" velocities
of light, symmetry, the "group property" of inertial reference frames, length
contraction and time dilatation, and the "twin paradox". Finally, we point out
a flaw in Einstein's argument in the "Electrodynamical Part" of his paper and
show that the Lorentz force formula and Einstein's formula for transformation
of field quantities are mutually consistent. We show that for faster-than-light
bodies, a simple modification of Planck's formula for mass suffices. (Except
for the reference to Planck's formula, we restrict ourselves to Physics of
1905.)Comment: 55 pages, 4 figures, accepted for publication in "Foundations of
Physics
Why Operationism Doesn't Go Away: Extrascientific Incentives of Social-Psychological Research
Peer Reviewedhttp://deepblue.lib.umich.edu/bitstream/2027.42/69038/2/10.1177_004839318601600302.pd
Defining and Presenting Data
Peer Reviewedhttp://deepblue.lib.umich.edu/bitstream/2027.42/67457/2/10.1177_108056998004300203.pd
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