B.

Tech Physics

Chapter 1
Theory of Relativity

Lecture 1.4
Length Contraction or Lorentz Fitzgerald Contraction:

Length of a body (moving with velocity comparable to the velocity

Of light) measured by stationary observer appears to be
Contracted in the direction of motion.

The appeared decrease in the length of the body in the direction of

motion is called length contraction.

Let us consider two frames S and S’, where S’ is moving with

uniform velocity v w.r.t S in X-direction.
Let a rod be placed in S’ along x-axis.

( The length of the rod as measured in the rest frame is known as

proper length).
Length of rod in frame S’ is (see fig)

-----(1)
Observer in S measure the length (see figure)

------------(2)

According to Lorentz transformation,

Put above values in Eq. (1),

--------(3)
Thus the length of the rod moving with velocity v relative to the
observer is contracted by a factor v2 in direction of motion.
1
c2

This is known as Lorentz- Fitzgerald contraction.

Time dilation: ( The word dilation mean the lengthening of an interval)

To understand the concept of the time dilation we consider two

inertial frame of references S’ and S such that the frame S’ is moving
with uniform velocity v w.r.t S.

Suppose some event takes place in frame S’ at position x’ and

time t’1 . The observer in frame S measure this time t1

------(1)

After time interval t0 another event takes place at later time say t2’
(at same position),

----------(2)
The time t2’ observed from frame S will appear t2

---------(3)

So the time interval t observed from frame S is (using Eq. (1) and (3)),

------(4)

Remember that t0 is the life time in S’ (clock at rest) whereas t is

time interval observed from S (for observer in S the clock in S’
is moving).
Note from Eq. (4)
t > t0 ---------------(5)

Thus time interval measured from S frame is more as compared to the

situation when clock at rest (for observer in S’ time interval is t 0)

This is known as time dilation.

This means moving clocks ticks more slowly as compared to the clock
at rest.
Exercise:

Simultaneity of two events:

According to the principle of simultaneity the two events which are

Simultaneous (occurring at same time) at two different positions in
one frame of references may not be simultaneous as observed from the
other inertial frame of reference.

Discuss above phenomenon in detail.

An experimental observation confirming the phenomenon of time
dilation and length contraction:

There are experimentally observed particle known as muons

which are produced in upper atmosphere due to interaction of
the comic rays with the air molecules. These muons are observed to
have mass 207 times mass of electron and have charge +e or –e.

These muons decays into electrons or positrons after an half life of

2.2 μs.

These cosmic ray muons travel with speed 0.998c towards earth.
so if we take above life time t0 = 2.2μs then the distance which muon
will travel before decay is

But muons are actually created at altitude 6km above earth surface.