Article View: sci.physics
Article #7450Re: A Question
From: Matt Crawford
Date: Tue, 28 Oct 1986 20:17
Date: Tue, 28 Oct 1986 20:17
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1639 bytes
Joe Buck sez: >In article <230@sri-arpa.ARPA> JDM%SMVL%rca.com@CSNET-RELAY.ARPA writes: >> o Given the old "accellerating-elevator-in-space" experiment, >> how can one within the elevator tell the whether he is >> accellerating or under the influence of gravity? > >You can't tell the difference. This is the heart of general >relativity. Actually you can tell the difference, as I am sure Joe knows. Sufficiently sensitive instruments will detect the slight variations from place to place in a gravitational field. If the accuracy of the instrument is known in advance, the elevator can be made small enough that the variation will be undetectable. Example: a device which can detect variations of one part in a million, used inside an "elevator" 3 meters across, will not be able to distinguish between a 1 g acceleration and the earth the gravitational field at the earth's surface. _____________________________________________________ Matt University crawford@anl-mcs.arpa Crawford of Chicago ihnp4!oddjob!matt Physics are good for you!
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Relay-Version: version B 2.10 5/3/83; site utzoo.UUCP Path: arc1-ca.pugleaf.net!utzoo!mnetor!seismo!rutgers!clyde!cuae2!ihnp4!gargoyle!oddjob!matt From: matt@oddjob.UUCP (Matt Crawford) Newsgroups: sci.physics Subject: Re: A Question Message-ID: <1529@oddjob.UUCP> Date: Tue, 28-Oct-86 15:17:19 EST Article-I.D.: oddjob.1529 Posted: Tue Oct 28 15:17:19 1986 Date-Received: Wed, 29-Oct-86 02:45:49 EST References: <230@sri-arpa.ARPA> <572@epimass.UUCP> Reply-To: matt@oddjob.UUCP (Matt Crawford) Organization: U. Chicago, Astronomy & Astrophysics Lines: 23