Graphic Evaluation of Special Relativity

Nils Abramson
Industrial Metrology and Optics / IIP
Royal Institute of Technology
10044 Stockholm 70, Sweden

nilsa@iip.kth.se

Einstein´s Special Relativity has been proven by many experiments to produce the correct results. However, even if the equations are very valuable, a simple graphic picture of the different relativistic phenomena is missing. Here a graphic evaluation is presented which is exclusively based on the apparent constant velocity of light and the variation in simultaneity caused by that constancy. The statement that a travelling clock runs slower than a stationary one “Relativistic Time Dilation” has been proved by numerous experiments and is therefore here accepted as a real fact. However, the statement that a travelling object is contracted in the direction of travel, is “less real” because there is no lasting result after the travelling object has stopped. Thus, this phenomena named “Lorentz’ Contraction” is in our approach judged as an apparent effect caused by the measurement. Our work is based on the assumption that a travelling observer´s sphere of observation is by his velocity elongated into an ellipsoid of observation resulting in that the concept of simultaneity is velocity dependent. As only relative velocities are of importance we have chosen to study the situation where the observer is moving in relation to the measured object. Thus we, as stationary observers, judge how a traveling observer judges our stationary world. Using our methods we derive in a graphic way such relativistic effects as, time dilation, elongations and contractions of which Lorentz´ contraction is a special case, relativistic redshift, rotation of emitted light rays etc. We also solve the asymmetry problem of the twin paradox and the paradox of the sphere of light from a moving source.