Garage Paradox
Question: If a long car goes fast enough, will it fit into a short garage?
- Assume: Length of car in rest frame of car = L0 = 20 ft
- Length of garage in rest frame of garage = G0 = 20 ft
- Speed of car wrt garage = v = 0.6 c = 0.6 ft/ns (? = 1.25 c = 1 ft/ns)
Answer from Garage Attendant: You bet !!
- L = 20/? = 20/(1.25) = 16 ft. Your 16 ft car should fit easily into my 20 ft garage!
Answer from Car Driver: No way!!
- G = 20/? = 20/(1.25) = 16 ft. My 20 ft car can’t fit into your 16 ft garage!
Who is Right? How can you decide? Next Time.