Question 1

What is the main cause of time dilation?

Accepted Answer

Time dilation is primarily caused by the relative velocity between two observers or differences in gravitational fields.

Question 2

Can time dilation occur at everyday speeds?

Accepted Answer

Time dilation effects are negligible at everyday speeds and only become noticeable at speeds approaching the speed of light.

Question 3

How does time dilation affect GPS satellites?

Accepted Answer

GPS satellites experience time dilation due to their high speed and differing gravitational field compared to Earth, requiring adjustments to maintain accurate timekeeping.

Question 4

Is time dilation a proven phenomenon?

Accepted Answer

Yes, time dilation has been experimentally confirmed through various experiments, including observations of muons and atomic clocks on airplanes.

Question 5

Can time dilation be used to travel to the future?

Accepted Answer

In theory, moving at relativistic speeds could allow an observer to experience less time passing relative to those stationary, effectively 'traveling' into the future.