What is the effect of motion on time passage in special relativity?

In the framework of special relativity, the effect of motion on the passage of time is a fundamental concept described as time dilation. According to this principle, time experienced by an observer in motion relative to another observer will appear to pass more slowly.

When an object moves at speeds close to the speed of light, an observer stationary relative to that object will measure time intervals for the moving object to be longer than the time intervals measured in their own frame of reference. This means that the moving observer experiences less elapsed time compared to the stationary observer, which aligns with the idea that clocks moving with the observer tick more slowly compared to those at rest.

This concept has been experimentally verified through various tests, such as observing the decay rates of particles moving at high velocities. As these particles travel close to the speed of light, their decay rates appear slower from the perspective of a stationary observer, demonstrating that their internal clock (which measures the decay process) is running slower.

Understanding this effect is crucial in fields such as astrophysics and high-speed particle physics, where velocities approach that of light and the differences in time measurements become significant. This principle emphasizes the reality that time is not a fixed quantity but is influenced by relative motion.