Lecture 6: Cause-Effect Relationship, The Ultimate Speed & Resolution of a Paradox

Geo Jose∗

I. CAUSE EFFECT RELATIONSHIP, THE ULTIMATE SPEED

We have been discussing various consequences of the Lorentz transformations. Today we shall see one more of
those. By now, we are familiar with the equation

△t − u△x
△t′ = q c2
. (1)
2
1 − uc2

△t and △x are the time interval and space interval between two events as measured by me. △t′ is the time interval
betwee the same two events as measured by you. You are moving away from me with velocity u. Consider two events
A and B. In my reference frame, I measure the space-time coordinates of these two events to be (xA , tA ) and (xB , tB )
respectively. As a concrete example, let us consider event A to be the firing of a bullet from a gun and event B to be
the bullet hitting someone and killing them. For a person watching this, tB > tA . Therefore
△t = tB − tA > 0.
Plugging this into Eq. (1), it seems there could exist an observer for whom △t′ < 0. That is t′A > t′B . That does not
make sense. Say for some obsever the person is dead, but the bullet has not been fired from the gun yet. What if
now a third person prevents the firing of the bullet? We then have a wierd situation where someone is dead for no
apparent reason. Such siutations are prohibited in special relativity by stipulating that the upper bound for speeds
is c. Let us see how. Let us first think: if △t is positive, when can △t′ become negative? That happens when
u△x
△t < (2)
c2
or
c△t u
< . (3)
△x c
Now c△t is the distance travelled by light in the time interval △t.
If c△t < △x, there was not enough time for even light to go from A to B after A happened but before B happening.
That means A could never have been the cause for B. To experience △t′ < 0,the second observer needs to travel at
some speed u such that c△t u ′
△x < c < 1(See Eq. (3)). Since A could not have been the cause of B, △t < 0 does not
defy the cause-effect expectations we have.
If c△t > △x, there was enough time for light to go from A to B after A happened but before B happening. That
means A could have been the cause for B (Not necessarily, but possibly). Since c△t△x > 1, In this case, for the second
observer to experience △t′ < 0, we require uc > 1. If an observer could move at speed u where uc > 1,he would see the
events A and B in reverse order. Since A is possibly the reason for B, allowing for this would lead us the paradox
that we started with above. Therefore, the stipulation that any speed u must be less than c keeps the cause-effecr
relationships intact.

II. PARADOX?

Problem:

I go to a store and buy a blue truck. You go to the same store and buy the same type of truck, except for the color:
you buy a red one. Let us say that the length of each truck was L when we saw it in the store. Now, I am driving the

∗ [Link]@[Link]
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Figure 1.

blue truck in the x-direction. I see that you are driving your red truck in the opposite direction with a slight offset
in our y-coordinates such that there will be no collision when we pass each other. See Figure 1. I see you coming
at me with speed u. You see me coming at you with speed u. I do the following: When the back end of your truck
passes the front end of my truck, I fire a missile at you from the back end of my truck. Because of length contraction,
I think your length is smaller than L. Therefore, I think that the missile will not hit you. In fact, I was just trying
to scare you. This is shown in part (a) of the figure. Now, you will see the same event as shown in part (b) of the
figure. But in this picture the missile is going to hit you. Who is right here? Will the missile hit you or not?

Solution:

Most of the information in the problem is given from my (blue truck) point of view. So let us write down the
space-time coordinates of the events that are happening from my point of view. To compare with the lectures, here I
am observer O, and you are O′ . Let
1
γ=q .
u2
1− c2

L
According to me your truck has a length γ. Your velocity is −u. The following are the events occuring:

Event (x, t)
Front end of your truck passes the front end of my truck (0, 0)
L
Back end of your truck passes the front end of my truck (0, γu )
L
Missile is fired from the back end of my truck (−L, γu )
Front end of your truck passes the back end of my truck (−L, Lu)
Back end of your truck passes the back end of my truck (−L, γu + L
L
u)

What are the space-time coordinates of these events according to you? That is, what are (x′ , t′ )? We don’t need
to guess it, we have Lorentz transformations to tell us that. So we need to use (remember velocity has a minus sign
here):
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x′ = γ (x + ut)
 ux 
t′ = γ t + 2
c
If you find (x′ , t′ ) for all above events using the above formula, you should get (check this!)

Event (x, t) (x′ , t′ )

Front end of your truck passes the front end of my truck (0, 0) (0, 0)
L
Back end of your truck passes the front end of my truck (0, γu ) (L, Lu)
L γLu .
Missile is fired from the back end of my truck (−L, γu ) (L − γL, L
u − c2 )
Front end of your truck passes the back end of my truck (−L, L
u)
L
(0, γu )
L L L L
Back end of your truck passes the back end of my truck (−L, γu + u) (L, γu + u)

Therefore you see that in your clock, the back end of your truck passed the front end of my truck at time L u . The
L γLu
missile was fired at time u − c2 . Therefore according to you, missile was fired before the the back end of your truck
passed the front end of my truck. These two events were simultaneous according to me. But according to you, they
are not simultaneous. Strange, but true. These two events were not simultaneous for you. But will the missile hit
you? According to you, If the missile was fired before the back end of my truck reached the front end of your truck,
γLu
the missile would not have hit you. Let us see if that is the case. Missile was fired at L
u − c2 . Back end of my truck
L γLu
passed the front end of your truck at γu . If L L
u − c2 < γu , missile would not have hit.

u2
 
L γLu L
− 2 = γ− γ2 2 .
u c γu c
2
1 u x2
Remember γ = p 2
. If I call x = c ,γ − γ 2 uc2 = √ 1
1−x2
− 1−x2 . Also, x cannot exceed 1. The function
1− u2
2
√ c
2
2
1−x −x
√ 1 x
− 1−x 2 = . The square root in the numerator is less than 1. So the numerator is less than the
1−x2 1−x2
denominator
 and
 therefore the whole function is less than 1. You can also plot the function and see this. This means
L 2 u2 L
γu γ − γ c2 < γu . Therefore the missile misses you, according to you.
To conclude, both observers are correct: they see that the missile misses.