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simple relativity question

Name: Anonymous 2006-08-09 21:45

two people are on a train, they will set their clock, on opposite ends of the train, to 12:00 when a flash is seen emitted from a bulb at the centre of the train, equidistant from each person. An observer watches from a platform, and says that the two events of setting the clock were NOT simultaneous while another observer says that they were. Since each viewpoint is equally valid, when the the people step off the train, what will their clocks actually read? is there a discrepancy or not?

Name: Anonymous 2006-08-15 23:33

>>10
(cont from >>11)

Reading over your post again, this caught my eye:

>>it's a matter of when they ACTUALLY get set.

You're thinking about it wrong.  Once you introduce relativity and reference frames, you can't talk about "what actually happened."  You always have to state what your reference frame is.  Neither reference frame is "what actually happened," but both frames are "what actually happened" for observers in those frames.

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