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Special relativity: Train-platform paradox
This article is based on the Train-platform paradox simlation available at https://train.tdworakowski.com . The paradox If you consider two relativistic phenomena which are length contraction and time dilation , the special theory of relativity may seem inconsistent. Imagine a train 100 meters long is passing a platform 100 meters long traveling at 90% of the speed of light . According to the theory, for the observer on the platform the train is shortened and the time inside it elapses more slowly. But for observer inside the train the length of the train is normal, time elapses normally, however the platform is shortened and the time on the platform elapses more slowly. How is it possible that both of these facts coexist? To answer this question we need to understand the third relativistic phenomenon which is relativity of simultaneity . If we consider these three phenomena together, the theory becomes consistent. You can play with the simulation to confirm that the theory
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