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GR8677 #71
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Alternate Solutions |
torturedbabycow
2010-02-14 17:50:06 | dogsandfrogs explained it pretty well.
Once you've calculated both lengths in both reference frames, you'll see that whether the car "fits" in the garage also depends on the reference frame. (Which cuts out (A) and (C) immediately.) What this means is that the order of the doors opening/closing ALSO depends on the reference frame, since we're told that they do so automatically as soon as each end of the car passes.
This seems like it might be an issue for causality, but it isn't. (To be pedantic, it's not true that the order of putting-cake-in-mouth and eating-cake is relative - no matter what frame of reference you are in, putting-cake-in-mouth always comes first. Only when the second event is outside the "light cone" of the first can the order of events be reversed based on reference frame, since they're not causally related and it doesn't "matter" which one goes first. :P And that's why there's not really a paradox.) |  |
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Comments |
torturedbabycow
2010-02-14 17:50:06 | dogsandfrogs explained it pretty well.
Once you've calculated both lengths in both reference frames, you'll see that whether the car "fits" in the garage also depends on the reference frame. (Which cuts out (A) and (C) immediately.) What this means is that the order of the doors opening/closing ALSO depends on the reference frame, since we're told that they do so automatically as soon as each end of the car passes.
This seems like it might be an issue for causality, but it isn't. (To be pedantic, it's not true that the order of putting-cake-in-mouth and eating-cake is relative - no matter what frame of reference you are in, putting-cake-in-mouth always comes first. Only when the second event is outside the "light cone" of the first can the order of events be reversed based on reference frame, since they're not causally related and it doesn't "matter" which one goes first. :P And that's why there's not really a paradox.) | | justguessing
2009-09-26 09:03:33 | i believe the paradox arises from the fact that garage doors just dont open at the speed of light. It's takes like at least ten seconds.
sher
2010-01-07 11:11:34 |
it is very confusing
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|  | OrrinJelo
2009-08-06 17:16:57 | So the answer is E? Can anyone explain this better?
dogsandfrogs
2009-10-07 09:25:30 |
Yes, the answer is E. Think of both reference frames:
In the frame of the car, when it is passing through the garage, the car is 5 meters and the garage is 2.4 meters. Obviously in this frame the car is not contained within the garage at any point.
In the frame of the garage, the garage is 4 meters, and the car is 3 meters as it is passing through. In this frame, the car is short enough to be fully contained within the garage, with an entire meter to spare.
Because the car is in the garage and not in the garage depending on your choice of frame, there is no unique answer.
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