Hi guys, the following is me trying to find a way that would prove length contraction at least in a thougth experiment and possibly in a physical experiment some how.
The diagram below shows a light gate.
Simply put it tells at what moment the light beams are interupted and results compared.
<img src=http://www.paygency.com/lightgate.jpg>
You will note that the beams have a separation of 100 meters although this could be any reasonable distance.
Now to test for length contraction an object that is in this case 110 meters would as it travels through the gate cause both beams to be interupted together at some point in it's transit. The idea is that if velocity contracts length then there must be a velocity that at which the object would not be able to interupt both beams at the same time, only being long enough to interupt one beam at a time.
I believe some one else quoted that at 0.8c length is contracted by 60% which means in this case the object would fail to block both beams simultaneously as it's length would be approx. 110*0.6 = 66 meters
The light gate could also be used to determine velocity in general
Does the above make sense and if not how could such a gate be constructed to prove length contraction as suggested by SRT?
A possible method for proving length contraction?
