Title: Real World Examples
Course: Relativity > Section: Module 41: Real World Examples

Real-World Examples

1. GPS Satellites: GPS satellites orbiting Earth move at high speeds relative to an observer on the ground. Their onboard clocks run slightly faster than clocks on Earth because of time dilation effects. To provide accurate positioning, GPS systems must correct for this time difference.
2. Cosmic Rays: Particles known as muons are created when cosmic rays hit the Earth’s atmosphere. These particles have a very short lifespan (about 2.2 microseconds) and travel towards Earth at near the speed of light. Due to time dilation, they live longer from our perspective and are detected on the ground much more often than expected.

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