Special Relativity

1 collaborator

WHAT IS IT?

The purpose of this model is to demostrate the effects special relativity by showing the lenght contraction and time dilation of an object with respect to a relative velocity.

HOW IT WORKS

You can adjust the relative speed of the blue rocket. What you actually adjust is the fraction of the speed of light. As the speed increases the lenght of the moving rocket decreases, and the time will increases at a slower rate than the time of the stationary rocket. The time counter of rocket1 (stationay rocket) shows the number of years that have passed on that rocket. The time counter rocket2 shows the number of years passed on the moving rocket.

HOW TO USE IT

By pressing the "setup" buttom you can restart the simulation or initiate it. By pressing the "go" buttom the simulation begins. You can adjust the relative velocity of the moving rocket.

THINGS TO NOTICE

Note that the model is made from the perspective of the stationary rocket. Every tick represents a year that have passed, and the rocket will move one light year for every tick. You can also notice the proper size of the rocket is 8 light years. Also this model ignores the effects of acceleration. The model is based on the assumption the will instantly move at the indicated velocity.

CREDITS AND REFERENCES

Made by Jose Vanir Valenzuela, Mesa Community College, Arizona State University.

Comments and Questions

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;;Special Relativity Simulation


;;Defines Global variables
Globals
[gamma
  t
  rocket1-time
  rocket2-time
  rocket-size-%]


;;Sets the environment

to setup                                     
  
  clear-all                                                                                            
  imPort-drawing "space-09.jPg"    
  setup-rockets                                      
  set t 0
end 

;;Creates the rockets
breed [rocket1]
breed [rocket2]

to setup-rockets
  
  create-rocket1 1
  set-default-shape turtles "rocket1"
  ask rocket1 [
   set size (8)
   setxy 2 3
   set color red
   set heading 90]
  
   create-rocket2 1
  set-default-shape turtles "rocket2"
  ask rocket2 [
;;Let 8 be the proper lenght of the object
   set size (8)
   setxy 2 -2
   set color blue
   set heading 270]
end 


;;Makes the rockets go

to go
  
  ask rocket1 [set heading 90]
 
  ask rocket2 [set heading 270
              forward (RelativeSpeed ) ]
;;The relative speed input by the user is enter as a fraction of the speed of light. 
;;Each tick the rockets moves 1 light year.  
  
;;Sets Value for Gamma
  set gamma sqrt(1 - ( RelativeSpeed ^ 2 )) 
  
  calculate-lenght-contraction
  calculate-time-dilatation
  
  set t (t + 1)
end 


;;Calculate the lenght depending on the relativistic speed

to calculate-lenght-contraction
  
  ask rocket2
  [set size ( 8 * gamma)
   set rocket-size-% (size / 8) * 100]
  ;;Note the Proper lenght of the object is 8 light years long. 
end 


;;Calculates the time dilation of the object. 

to calculate-time-dilatation
  
  set rocket1-time  (t)
  set rocket2-time  ( (t) / gamma )
end 

;;By Jose Vanir Valenzuela

There is only one version of this model, created over 9 years ago by Jose Valenzuela.

Attached files

File	Type	Description	Last updated
Special Relativity.png	preview	Preview for 'Special Relativity'	over 9 years ago, by Jose Valenzuela	Download

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