Light Waves And Time

[nwobuseffect]

                             PHYSICS OF OPTICS AND TIME

Any corrections, different point of view and criticism will be appreciated please.

 

ABSTRACT:  A brief proposition on the nature of light waves and how it affects the measurement of observers.

 

 

Imagine a stationary observer who is at a distance D, away from a stationary source of light that emits a light signal at a constant period t, and let's assume that both parties are provided with a clock. If the source of light emits a light signal that travels away to the observer for a period of time t, both parties will agree that there is no change in the wavelength of the light wave emitted. More also, both parties will agree that their respective clocks records same time t, for the period of the light signal.

 

 

Now consider a similar instance where the source of light travels some meters during the same time t, as the period of the emitted light wave, the wavelength of the light wave recorded by a device attached to the source of the light will be different from the wavelength recorded by the stationary observer. Also, the clock attached to the moving source of light will disagree with the clock of the stationary observer over the period t, of motion of emitted light wave.

 

 

The conclusion from the above instance is that:

 

1. There is No change in the measurement of the clocks of both parties when there is No change in the property of the light wave emitted.

2. There is A change in the measurement of the clocks of both parties when there is A change in the property of the light wave emitted.

 

It is clear that the motion of the light source creates a change in the physical property of the light wave. As I proceed in this article, I will show that the simple act of creating a change in the physical properties (wavelength) of the waves, automatically creates a difference in the measurements of observers of different frames. This change in the physical property of the light waves can make physical measurements of different frames to appear relative in nature depending on the magnitude of the disturbance produced in the waves of light.

 

INTRODUCTION: 

 

In this proposition on light waves and time, I wish to explain how the light waves surrounding a moving object affect the physical information about the motion of the object as measured by observers of different frames.  According to Doppler's effect, during the motion of an object, the light waves reflected/emitted from the moving object either gets closer or further apart from each other and this results in changes, for example, the Blue or Red shift of a fast moving source of light. On the other hand, this change imposed on the physical properties of the surrounding light waves due to the motion of an object results in a phenomenon which I will summarize below.

 

"In a given system of an observable experiment, A change in the physical properties (E.g. Wavelength, Period etc) of the motion of the light waves emitted/reflected by an object due to motion, Results in change in the physical properties (E.g. Time, Distance etc) of the motion of the object as measured by observers of different frames."

Simply, change in the physical properties of the motion of the surrounding light waves, Results in the Relativistic Effects we observe in our measurements.

 

Every light source which emits light waves, has a series of light waves spreading out from its vicinity and likewise a body in an illuminated region of space, has a series of light waves spreading out from its vicinity. Light waves act as a medium by which some information about an object, either at rest or in motion, propagate from one region of space to another. Observation of most events is possible because of the ability of light waves to transmit information about an event to an observer located at a distance in space.

Imagine an isolated region of space with just one light source that emits uniform light waves strong enough to illuminate all regions of that space. let's have a stationary observer located somewhere on a plane surface in that region, and an object (car) of velocity V, located at a distance D, away from the stationary observer. Any observer located within this region of space who wishes to observe the motion of the car will depend on the light waves (either visible or non visible electromagnetic waves) emitted/reflected by the moving object for information about the motion of the object.

 

To the stationary observer who is at a distance of D, behind the car, let us analyze his observation and measurement  of the time of motion of the car through a distance d. Let us take that the speed of light in this thought experiment is C.

Light waves propagates information about an event from one region of space to another and it takes some time for light to propagate information about an event. During the measurement of the time of motion of the car by the stationary observer, the surrounding light waves also takes some little time to propagate information about the motion of the car to the stationary observer.  This  propagation of information by light waves matters most at the point when the car is just about to start its motion and at the point when the car immediately comes to rest.

 

MATHEMATICAL DERIVATION;

 

Let us assume that the car has a clock attached to it which will record the time of its motion through the distance d and let us use the time, t, as the time measured by the clock attached to the car, for the motion of the car through the distance d.

Let us assume that the stationary observer is also provided with a clock that will enable him to time the motion of the car through the distance d,  and let the time he measures for the motion of the car  through the distance d, be T.

 

At the start of motion of the car, when the stationary observer starts his clock, the stationary observer DELAYS  in starting his timing on the motion of the car  by a time delay of amount equal to D/C, which is the time for light signal to travel from the car to the stationary observer and inform him of the departure of the car, which means that the stationary observer starts his timing at the time t - D/C. Also, at the end of motion of the car, through the distance of d,  the stationary observer will require another light signal to travel from the final point of motion of  the car to the point of the stationary observer to inform him about  the coming to rest of the car. The time for this last light signal to get to the observer is d/C + D/C . This means that the stationary observer EXCEEDED in his measurement by the amount of time d/C + D/C . The total time resulting from the light propagation effect is D/C + d/C + D/C.

 

 Therefore the total time T, of motion of the car as recorded by the clock of the stationary observer is T = t - D/C + d/C + D/C.  The propagation time of information by light can be removed in the above equation of time as below, -D/C + (+D/C) = 0.

 

Simplifying the equation gives:

 T = t + d/C

d/C =  T - t   ……………….......................................................... 1

 

The factor d/C is not a light propagation time but a change in the physical property (Period/time) of the surrounding light waves. and I will prove further the origin of the factor d/C.

The above equation simply says that: "Change in the physical property of the motion of the surrounding light waves  equals (=) Change in the measurements of observers of different frames, that's the Relativistic Effects we observe in our physical measurements"

 

Since  d = vt, where v is the velocity of the car.

T = t + vt/C

Therefore;

T = t (1+v/C)…………................................................................... 2

 

To prove further that the factor d/C is a change in the physical property of light waves, precisely, a change in the period of the light waves, let's consider the below analysis using the Doppler's Effect.

 

Now, imagine a  car that emits light of wavelength ƛ , when it is at rest but when it is in motion, it emits light pulse of wavelength ʎ .  Let's take that the car is to travel away at a speed of v on a straight line from a stationary observer located at a distance of D behind the car and this car emits a pulse of light at a period of t  when in motion. If at the beginning of the motion when the car is just about to move, it emits a pulse of light and after a time,  t, it emits another pulse of light and comes to rest immediately, then it will be clear that the car travels a distance, d, during the t period of emission of the pulse of light.

 

Mathematically, the period t, of emission of the light pulse is the same as the time (t) of motion of the car through the distance, d. The distance, d, travelled by the car during the period of emission of the light pulse is:

d = vt

Also, the change in the wavelength of the light waves brought about by the motion of the car is expressed as:

 

ƛ - ʎ  = d = vt  ......................................................................................... 3

From equation 3,

ƛ - ʎ  = d = Vt 

d = ƛ - ʎ

substituting d in equation 1 gives:

T - t = d/c

T - t =  ƛ - ʎ /C

Therefore:

ƛ - ʎ /C = T - t  = d/C .......................................................................4

 

The above equation shows that "In any given system of an observable experiment, change in the physical information about the motion of light waves, due to motion of an object, results in change in the physical measurement of the information about the motion of that object as measured by observers of different frames." That is to say; changes in the physical properties of light waves results to the Relativistic Effects we observe in our physical measurements.

The equation 4 agrees with the earlier conclusion that says: "There is A change in the measurement of the clocks of both parties when there is A change in the property of the light wave emitted."

 

THE CORRESPONDING DISTANCE EQUATION;

 

The corresponding distance can be derived through a more detailed form but let me use this short cut. From equation 1

 T = t + d/C

since t = d/v

then:

T = d_o /v   

Therefore: d_o /v   ₌  d/v + d/C

d_o  =  d (1+v/C) ........................................………………5

 

T and d_o  is the respective time and distance travelled by the car, as measured by the stationary observer.

t and d is the respective time and distance travelled by the car as measured by the car or a clock attached to the car.

d/C is the change in the physical property of the light wave,  which is also a change in the period of the light waves that were emitted when the car is at rest and when it is in motion..

 

This effect has been misinterpreted by other writers who claim that light travels a longer distance in a moving frame and thereby causing time to run differently in different frames. But it is very clear from the above derivation of time and distance that light travels through the same distance in all frames and time also runs the same in all frames. But what happens is that, when a disturbance is created in the waves of light due to the motion of an object, this disturbance does not just die out of existence. It goes on to affect the observation and measurements of all observers who depend on the light waves for their observation and measurement. This change in the physical property of the light waves can make physical measurements of different frames to appear relative depending on the magnitude of the disturbance produced in the waves of light..

 

The laws of physics are very absolute in the sense that in reality, light travels the same distance relative to every frame BUT the laws of physics could be relative in the sense that in measurement,  observers of different frames might measure different values for the distance travelled by the light waves as a result of the behavior of light waves which I explained above.

 

Also, the measurements of some frames are better/more valid than the measurement  of other frames,  depending on the resultant change in the physical property of the light waves from both the system of the observer and the event being observed. It seems from the derived mathematical equations that the measurements recorded by a person attached to the frame of the event are always more accurate, and this must be because of the fact that the person attached to the frame of event does not depend on the surrounding light waves for its measurement. Of course, no one needs light waves to walk from point A to point B but someone surely needs light waves to know that an object has moved from point A to point B.

It does follow that (The motion of the Car results in changes in the physical properties of the waves (Doppler's Effect); The changes in the physical properties of the light waves results in changes/Relativistic Effects in the measurements of  observers of different frames). In the earlier versions of this proposition, this, I was referring to as "Nwobu's Effect" ( T - t = ƛ - ʎ  /C = d/C ).

 

  Conclusions From The Above Equations

 

1.      The velocity of any matter travelling through space is independent of any frame observing and measuring its motion.

2.     Some matters can travel faster than the speed of light.

3.      Some frames are better than others in the measurement of physical quantities.

4.      Time runs the same in all frames even though our measuring devices may record otherwise.

5.      Relative and absoluteness co-exist.

6.      Between two or more inertial reference frames, an event which is present tense to one frame may not be present tense to other frames but may be past or future tense to other frames

7.      Optical observation of our past time/world and its mathematical estimation is perfectly possible.

8.       The future is not optically visible but is mathematically solvable.

For further reading on the complete  article,  Kindly visit the Blog page:

http://nwobuseffect.blogspot.com/2015/02/physics-of-optics-and-time_1.html

Thanks.