Time and motion in physics: the Reciprocity Principle, relativistic invariance of the lengths of rulers and time dilatation

TL;DR

This paper explores the Reciprocity Principle and relativistic invariance of rulers and clocks, demonstrating how different formulations of time dilation relate and predicting a non-intuitive length expansion effect in special relativity.

Contribution

It provides a unified analysis of length and time invariance in both Newtonian and relativistic frameworks using the Reciprocity Principle.

Findings

Invariance of measured length of moving rulers in both Newtonian and relativistic contexts

Discussion of proper, improper, and apparent times in relativistic time dilation

Prediction of a length expansion effect due to the Reciprocity Principle

Abstract

Ponderable objects moving in free space according to Newton's First Law constitute both rulers and clocks when one such object is viewed from the rest frame of another. Together with the Reciprocity Principle this is used to demonstrate, in both Galilean and special relativity, the invariance of the measured length of a ruler in motion. The different times: `proper', `improper' and `apparent' appearing in different formulations of the relativistic time dilatation relation are discussed and exemplified by experimental applications. A non-intuitive `length expansion' effect predicted by the Reciprocity Principle as a necessary consequence of time dilatation is pointed out