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Equation 110 · The Clock That Comes Back Wrong by Exactly Its Mass

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Δτ≈g Δz T/c2\Delta\tau\approx g\,\Delta z\,T/c^2

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This equation gives an approximation: it relates the quantities while allowing an approximation. Read the equation part by part below; each part has a contextual explanation and a link to its mathematical background.

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Δτ\Delta\tau

Symbol Δτ

Δτ is a part of this expression. Its role is fixed by the surrounding article and by the operations shown in the formula.

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gg

Symbol g

g is a part of this expression. Its role is fixed by the surrounding article and by the operations shown in the formula.

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Δz\Delta z

Symbol Δ z

Δ z is a part of this expression. Its role is fixed by the surrounding article and by the operations shown in the formula.

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TT

Symbol T

T is a part of this expression. Its role is fixed by the surrounding article and by the operations shown in the formula.

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c2c^2

Symbol c^2

The square of c: multiply c by itself.

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≈

≈

Approximately equal to; the equality is not exact.

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change

change

Capital delta attached to a quantity marks a difference between two values of that quantity; the article’s sign convention determines the order.

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superscript

superscript

A raised number can be a power. When it is a label or bound, it selects a case or the upper limit of a sum; the formula’s structure distinguishes these uses.

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Its accuracy depends on the assumptions and range of use described in the article.

What the article says around this equation

To make this concrete without simulation, take the weak-field proper-time rate dτ\tau/dt≈\approx1+gz/c2c^2 for a static height z in Earth’s field, so that holding two branches at a height difference Δ\Delta z for coordinate time T gives Δ\Deltaτ\tau≈\approx g\,Δ\Delta z\,T/c2c^2 . For Δ\Delta z=1\,m\mathrm m and T=1\,s\mathrm s , Δ\Deltaτ\tau≈\approx1.090×\times10^{-16}\,s\mathrm s . Pair this with a single-photon optical clock transition near 698\,nm\mathrm{nm} , comparable to the transition used in strontium-lattice-clock proposals for this kind of experiment [ 11 , 13 ] , giving Δ\Deltaν\nu≈\approx4.295×\times10^{14}\,Hz\mathrm{Hz} and Δ\Delta E=hΔ\Deltaν\nu≈\approx2.846×\times10^{-19}\,J\mathrm J , a mass excess Δ\Delta…
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To make this concrete without simulation, take the weak-field proper-time rate dτ\tau/dt≈\approx1+gz/c2c^2 for a static height z in Earth’s field, so that holding two branches at a height difference Δ\Delta z for coordinate time T gives Δ\Deltaτ\tau≈\approx g\,Δ\Delta z\,T/c2c^2 . For Δ\Delta z=1\,m\mathrm m and T=1\,s\mathrm s , Δ\Deltaτ\tau≈\approx1.090×\times10^{-16}\,s\mathrm s . Pair this with a single-photon optical clock transition near 698\,nm\mathrm{nm} , comparable to the transition used in strontium-lattice-clock proposals for this kind of experiment [ 11 , 13 ] , giving Δ\Deltaν\nu≈\approx4.295×\times10^{14}\,Hz\mathrm{Hz} and Δ\Delta E=hΔ\Deltaν\nu≈\approx2.846×\times10^{-19}\,J\mathrm J , a mass excess Δ\Delta E/c2c^2≈\approx3.167×\times10^{-36}\,kg\mathrm{kg} .

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