Muon Experiment

Numerical example from laboratory setting

What is a muon?

Some history

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Muon Experiment

Relativistic, Earth observer

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Muon Experiment

Relativistic, muon observer

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Muon Experiment

Comparison

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Muon Experiment

In the muon experiment, the relativistic approach yields agreement with experiment and is greatly different from the non-relativistic result. Note that the muon and ground frames do not agree on the distance and time, but they agree on the final result. One observer sees time dilation, the other sees length contraction, but neither sees both.

Comments on comparison

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Muon Experiment

The calculation will be considered from the Earth frame of reference. The length is then unaffected since it is in the Earth frame. You may substitute values for the height and the muon speed in the calculation below.

Vary parameters

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