Time Dilation Calculator

How to Calculate Time Dilation

For our formula, we convert everything into meters per second, and we utilize the speed of light which is 299,792,458 meters per second. The formula is:

Δt' = Δt / √(1 - (v²/c²))

Where:

• Δt' = Time interval experienced by the moving observer (dilated time)


• Δt = Time interval experienced by the stationary observer (proper time)


• v = Velocity of the moving object relative to the stationary observer


• c = Speed of light

Understanding Your Results

The concept of time dilation is still new to most people. It can be confusing to understand and thoroughly follow along with. When using our tool you are entering the amount of time that the person or subject experiences when they are moving at whatever speed they are going.

Then when you hit calculate you are getting the relative time which is the amount of time that would pass for someone not moving to experience the same situation. The faster you are moving, the slower time is going.

How to Use the Time Dilation Tool

Calculating the effect of time dilation of a certain scenario can easily be calculated with our tool. In just a few steps you can get your answer. The steps include:

1. Enter the time interval, or the amount of time that the object was actually moving for.


2. Enter the velocity at which the object was moving at.


3. Ensure your entries are correct as well as the units of measurement aligning with your intended value.


4. Hit calculate and get your answer!

Why Time Dilation is Important

We know what you are thinking, who would ever need to know or worry about time dilation? While it is a fair question since 99% of people are not affected by it in a large way currently, this can be important for space travel and other missions to space or other planets that may take place in the future.

This information can be used for mission planning and for training and preparation reasons. There is nothing like the feeling of time dilation, next to no one has felt it so preparing future space travelers as much as possible is key.

Example Calculation

Let's say we are in the future where we have a vehicle that can move at a rate of 125,000 miles per seconds. We are going to take a trip that is only 10 seconds long. To an observer who is standing still, this will not appear to be a 10-second trip, we can use this time dilation tool to figure out how long the trip will appear to be.

After entering 10 into the time interval field and 125,000 into the velocity field we can hit calculate to get an answer of 7.41 seconds. What was actually a 10-second trip only seemed like a 7.41-second trip to the standstill observer due to the effects of time dilation.