Homework Help: Physics, relativity

Posted by charlie on Monday, October 11, 2010 at 3:28pm.

I read this in a write-up of an experiment using atomic clocks:

To reveal these effects, required the use of highly accurate atomic clocks, calibrated to check that they are perfectly in sync with each other – ticking down the nanoseconds (that's one billionth of a second: 0.000 000 001 seconds) in complete unison. One clock was taken on a trip around the world, whilst the other one stayed at the NPL in Teddington.

"When the two clocks were reunited, according to Einstein's theories, they should no longer be in sync - the clock that travelled around the world should be ahead of the stationary clock by a significant amount."

I thought the opposite would be true?

Am I correct?

Physics, relativity - drwls, Monday, October 11, 2010 at 3:48pm
Yes, you are quite correct. Congratulations for noticing that error by whoever wrote it.

Here is a more accurate press release about that experiment.

http://www3.open.ac.uk/media/fullstory.aspx?id=19636
Physics, relativity - charlie, Monday, October 11, 2010 at 4:09pm
Thanks Drwls, but that's the press release I spotted the error in. I think!

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