Frequently
Asked
Questions
about
Dimensions of Einstein's
Space
and Time
Series #16 - Space
and
Time
-----------------------
Question - (1-A)
Is Time a "Physical"
Dimension?
A.
-
No. In a description of the physical nature of matter, everything
in physics can be described in a space having a width, a depth,
and a
height. Nothing more is necessary. Of course, such a description
can be
different later. A new three-dimensional description might be
necessary
after a given time interval. That description can also vary as a
function of temperature and various other parameters. It exists
no
physical
description
in
a mathematical equation being able to transform "one second"
into
"meters" (or vice versa) (called space-time transformation).
Mathematics is a tool to predict numerical parameters.
Mathematics does
not give a physical description of phenomena. Mathematics is not
physics. Just try to explain to a friend how to proceed to make
a
physical transformation of a "space" into "time"
(space-time transformation). Mathematically it is easy. You
simply
write "Space" = "Time". Physically, it is non-sense. It is not
because
you can write a mathematical formula relating numbers of units
that a
physical reality exists. A mathematical relationship
between numbers is NOT a physical process. A mathematical
relationship
between numbers is not the "Cause" of any phenomenon. It is a
tool
giving predictions. Do not confuse a tool making predictions
(mathematics) with the physical mechanism itself.
-----------------------
Question - (1-B)
How many physical
dimensions are necessary to give a complete description of
all matter
in the universe?
A.
-
Three
dimensions.
-----------------------
Question - (1-C)
In physics, we saw that
an
important condition requires using Proper Values. What is
the meaning
of Proper Values?
A
-
When
an
observer
moves
from one frame to another, the Proper
Value of Time is the number of units
of time (using local clock) the local standard unit (of time) is
needed
by this local observer to measure the local time. In the case of
length, the Proper Value of length is the number of times the
Local
Standard Meter must be used to represent the length measured.
The
need
of
using
proper
values
is explained in the book: "Einstein's
Theory
of Relativity versus
Classical Mechanics." In the paper: "A
Detailed
Classical Description of the
Advance of the Perihelion of Mercury",
we see that using proper values with Newton's physics, we find
the
correct value of the advance of the perihelion of Mercury
without any
need of Einstein's principles of relativity.
The
proper
value
is
always
the
number
(of units) measured at the
location where the physical interaction takes place. Inside
atoms, the
proper value is therefore the number of units which exists at
the
particular location where the element of the particle is
located.
---------------------
Question - (1-D)
Why
does the local observer (in a moving frame) not use the same
universal
standard meter (and standard clock) as defined everywhere
else (instead
of his local meter and local clock)?
A
-
Because
he
is
unable
to
do it. The only standard meter (or standard
clock) available to him in his local frame is necessarily
different
from the one in the initial frame because it has been moved
(accelerated). In order to make a measurement, the observer must
carry
the universal meter (and the universal standard clock) from the
original frame to his local frame. When he does this moving, the
universal standard meter (and the universal standard clock)
changes its
velocity when carried from the universal frame to the local
frame.
Therefore ENERGY is given to the atoms (and electrons) of his
universal
standard meter (and universal clock). This change of energy
given to
the atoms of his standard meter (during the change of frame)
changes
the Bohr radius of the atoms, which changes the real physical
length of
the universal standard meter (and the rate of the standard
clock).
Therefore, when the local observer makes a measurement, the
local meter
and the local clock are different from what it was before the
moving.
This is what we take into account in our book (Einstein's Theory of Relativity
versus
Classical Mechanics).
There are neither space contraction nor time dilation, however
the
units of time and length on the moving frame are necessarily
different
as explained above.An important application of this principle is
used
in the paper: "A Detailed
Classical
Description of the Advance of the Perihelion of Mercury".
-----------------------
Question - (1-E)
Using
local units, will an observer measuring the Proper Values of
his own
height, find a different value, after moving to another
frame?
A.
-
No.
He
finds
the
same number
of units. Of course, his own height has changed. However, the
number of
units are the same because the length to be measured (the moving
observer) has moved as well as the meter used for the
measurement. When
moving to a different frame, the standard meter changes by the
same
amount as the height of the human body, since they both (the
body and
the standard meter) are submitted to the same change of velocity
and
the same change of gravitational potential. The Bohr radius
changes by
the same ratio for both the observer and the standard meter.
-----------------------
Question - (1-F)
If
we move from Earth to the orbit of Mercury (always
neglecting the mass
of Mercury), will we find that the number of units giving
the size (of
an external body) of the Sun (using Mercury proper values)
is the same
as measured from Earth (using Earth proper values)?
A.
-
No.
Because
now,
the
size
of the meter carried out with the
observer from Earth to Mercury's orbit, does change. Of course,
the
actual size of the Sun does not change because an observer moved
from
Earth's orbit to Mercury's orbit.
-----------------------
Question - (1-G)
We
read in many books that Newton's physics does not lead to
the so-called
"Relativistic Corrections". What is wrong about Newton's
Physics (as
applied usually)?
A.
-
The
principle
of
mass-energy conservation has not
been fully applied in the past when using Newton's physics. This
is
explained in more details in "chapter one" of the
Book:
Einstein's Theory of Relativity versus Classical Mechanics".
Here is an example. Let us
give a
kinetic energy "Ek" to a mass having an initial mass Mo. The initial mass Mo becomes slightly
larger, due
to that increase of kinetic energy (which possesses mass). From
the
relationship Ek=Mkc2, the mass increase is: Mk=Ek/c2.
The
final
moving
mass
Mf is then:
Mf= Mo
+ Mk =
Mo+ Ek/c2
It is that small increase of
mass
(Ek/c2)
which has been neglected in the past and which renders Newton's
physics
compatible with all observations without using Einstein's
hypotheses of
relativity.
-----------------------
Question - (1-H)
If
we now take into account the increase of mass due to kinetic
energy,
can we then use Newton's equations to predict all
observations?
A.
-
Something
else
is
still
missing.
Potential energy, which is
energy, must also be taken into account. For example, when we
give
(potential) energy to raise a mass against the gravitational
potential,
we also have given energy to that mass. This is explained in
chapter
one of the book Einstein's Theory of Relativity versus Classical
Mechanics, chapter one.
Due to potential energy Ep, there is an increase
of mass
"Mp"
given by:
Mp = Ep/c2
The final mass including
"Kinetic
Energy" Mk and
"Potential Energy" Mp is then:
Mf = Mo+
Ek/c2 + Ep/c2
-----------------------
Question - (1-I)
Is
there any other kind of energy (other than kinetic and
gravitational
potential) that also contributes to increase the mass of
bodies?
A.
-
Yes,
ALL
forms
of
energy
contribute to an increase of mass. The
principle of mass-energy conservation is "always" valid. No
exception,
ever. We can have gravitational energy, kinetic energy,
electrostatic
energy, magnetic energy, nuclear energy, and any other form of
energy.
In fact, after considering gravitational energy and kinetic
energy,
electrostatic energy has also been considered in chapters three
and
eleven of the Book: "Einstein's
Theory
of Relativity versus Classical Mechanics"
when calculating the change of Bohr radius and clock rates.
However, in
some problems, the change of other energies (electrostatic,
magnetic,
nuclear, etc.) is not always directly relevant, so that we can
solve
more easily many problems considering only kinetic and
gravitational
energies. However, one must keep in mind that, not using all
forms of
energy is an approximation, which is not necessarily valid.
One
must also understand that this change of mass must be carefully
taken
into account everywhere in physics. This strict application of
mass-energy conservation will solve the problems usually
attributed to
relativity even when applied to atomic, molecular, and nuclear
and
particle physics. There is an interesting challenge to apply
this
physical and logical solution of strict mass-energy conservation
to the
problem of internal structure of matter.
-----------------------
Question - (1-J)
We know that Einstein's
definition of time is what clocks are showing. Do we use the
same
definition of time? If not, why not?
A
-
We
have
seen
that
due
to the change of electron mass, the rate
shown by clocks changes when they are carried to another frame
having a
different energy. It is not acceptable to believe, as Einstein,
that
time runs faster just because clocks run at a faster rate. The
clock
rate depends on a physical mechanism and "Time" does not change
because
the clock rate is different. In our work, the change of clock
rate is
taken into account and is considered to be due to the change of
electron mass (which changes its motion rate). For practical
reasons,
inside a moving frame, the "clock rate" can be called: "Local
time" or
"Apparent time". However, it is not real "Time" at all. It just
means
"clock rate". Then we see that the variables "t" or "T" do not
represent time. These variables represent "local clock rates".
Real
"Time" is an arbitrary defined reference rate, which is defined
as the
particular "clock rate" of a clock in which the physical
parameters
have been carefully defined. All clocks rates, in any frame, can
be
compared with this absolute standard. These main physical
parameters
requested are its gravitational potential and its absolute
velocity.
The absolute definition of that standard is given in the Book: Einstein's Theory of Relativity
versus
Classical Mechanics.
-----------------------
Question - (1-K)
In
this work, within any individual frame, using proper values,
we must
substitute the "clock rate" instead of the variable, which
was
previously called time "t". What physical phenomena lead us
to do that?
A
-
There
are
at
least
two
direct reasons that led us to consider that
Newton's laws of physics are not really directly related with
"time",
but evolves only as a function of local "clock rate".
1
-
For
Newton
as
for
Einstein,
they did not know that the clock rate
was changing when energy was given to atoms and electrons inside
matter. However, Einstein used the "clock rate" even if he did
not
specify it directly, since he was using a "time" that he defined
as
being the local clock rate. The information about the change of
clock
rate requires a level of knowledge of atomic structure of matter
that
did not exist in 1905. The crucial information needed came from
de
Broglie discovery on the wavelength of matter-waves.
Consequently,
without the relevant knowledge of atomic structure, there was no
alternative available, and the only variable available at that
time was
"Time".
2
-
At
the
beginning
of
the
century, more precise experiments with
light, have shown that physical laws were invariant within any
frame of
reference. However, without knowing that clock rates were
changing due
to mass-energy conservation, it was assumed that time itself was
changing. At that time, there was then no possibility to see
that
"Time" was not the correct concept represented by "t" in
classical
mechanics. Einstein had to make new hypotheses while the same
correction (of clock rate) can be obtained without any
hypotheses using
de Broglie description on the wavelength of particles. Einstein
did not
have the correct tools (e.g. wavelength of matter) at his time
to get
the realistic solution to that problem. It appears unsuitable
that
Einstein defined "Time" as the observed "clock rate".
Furthermore,
since
that
clock
rate
is
changing
with energy, it is
abnormal to believe that real "time" is changing just because
clocks
are changing their rate. Something must be wrong. It is more
logical to
assume that the clock rate is changing because the phenomenon
that is
responsible for the change of clock rate, is the same as the one
that
changes the interaction between particles and bodies.
More explanations are given in
the
book: Einstein Theory of
Relativity
versus Classical Mechanics.
-----------------------
Question - (1-L) (IMPORTANT)
When
an observer moves to a different frame, we have seen that
the number of
proper units is different. Therefore, the physics seems to
be the same
but expressed with different numbers. How can results of
Newton's
equations REALLY BE PHYSICALLY DIFFERENT because of these
transformations of units! Give a typical example to
illustrate that the
local observer will get a different realistic physical
answer although
he uses the same Newton's physics all the time?
A
-
It
is
obvious
that
the
simple transformation of physical quantities
from one system to another, followed by the inverse
transformation
leads to the same original parameters and exactly the same
physics.
Absolutely no physics is involved in the simple transformation
of
units. This is just a mathematical transformation of physical
quantities. This can be illustrated in some examples. For
example, let
us transform all the parameters (from a rest frame), to the
proper
values of a body moving around a central force like the Sun.
After
these parameters have been transformed, giving the proper values
of the
system in motion, you can verify that the centrifugal force,
still
equals the gravitational force (using now the moving frame
units). This
particular physical relationship (mv2/r=Gmm'/r2)
is still valid in this moving frame after the transformation
giving the
new proper values. However, this simple transformation (into the
proper
units in motion) is quite insufficient to predict the exact
shape of
the orbit. This is just a simple mathematical transformation of
units
(into the moving frame units). The interesting point is
elsewhere as we
will see now.
Let
us
illustrate
the
case
of
an
orbiting mass around the Sun. In
physics, it is known that the gravitational field around the Sun
decreases exactly as the inverse square of the distance. This is
certainly correct. This quadratic decreases of the field
,
leads
to
Kepler's
laws,
which
predicts
that the planetary orbits around
the Sun must have an elliptical shape, having axes in a fixed
direction
in space. It is well known mathematically (see H. Goldstein,
Classical
Physics, Addison Wesley, Reading Mass, second edition, page 123,
1980)
that when the force (and not the field )
is
not quadratic,
the axis of the ellipse rotates slowly around the Sun. This is
called;
a precession of the elliptical orbit around the Sun. It is well
known
mathematically that an orbit with axes having a fixed direction
in
space is possible only, when the change of force around
the
central field varies as the inverse of a
quadratic
function.
Let
us
note
that
around
the
Sun, the "exactly quadratic" decreasing
gravitationalfieldis
a well-accepted physical fact. However, we have seen that due to
the
principle of mass-energy conservation, the mass of an orbiting
body is
different at different distances from the Sun. The mass of a
physical
body, at the Earth distance, is different from the mass of the
same
body at Mercury distance. Therefore, even if the field
around the Sun is quadratic, the force acting on
a mass
is not quadratic.
For
example,
let
us
consider
an
observer
orbiting the Sun at the Earth
distance. Then, he moves to half that distance. He finds that
the Sun's
gravitational field is increased by exactly four
times.
However, since the mass of the body has changed due to
mass-energy
conservation, he will find that the gravitational forces
acting
on
that
same
body
are
not
quite increased four times because the mass
has changed due to mass-energy conservation. Consequently, the force
on that body as a function of distance is not
quite quadratic. This is one of the phenomena that is
responsible for
the advance of the perihelion of Mercury.
Furthermore, as explained in the book Einstein's Theory of
Relativity
versus Classical Mechanics, not only the change of mass, but
also the
change of proper values of "length" and "clock rate" adds a
further
contribution to the advance of the perihelion of Mercury as
demonstrated in the paper: "A
Detailed Classical Description of the Advance of the
Perihelion of
Mercury".
The change of the proper values of "length" and "clock rate"
must also
be taken into account. Their physical representation is more
subtle but
their contributions make a further increase to the advance of
the
perihelion of Mercury.
Let
us
note
that
the
relevant
parameters
must use the variable "t" (or
"T") which can be called "local time". However, the variable
which must
be put in Newton's equations is not "time". It is the local
"clock
rate" that changes with the energy (where the clock is located).
Unfortunately,
it
does
not
seem
to
exist
any physical instrument being
able to measure "absolute time" in all frames, (not more than
absolute
meter or absolute mass) because all clocks change their rate
when they
are moved to a new frame. The absolute values must be found by
calculation. This is the way Nature is made. However,
everything
is
quite logical (and compatible with common sense).
-------------------------------------------------
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space-16.html Updated Sept. 1999