Mathematically, relativistic effects are described by a factor which physicists normally denote by the Greek letter gamma. (You and that Missouri State Trooper may think you're driving fast, but as far as the theory of relativity is concerned, you're driving very slow.) The effects of time dilation and length contraction are only noticeable if you're traveling close to the speed of light, which is about 186,300 miles per second (or 300,000,000 meters/second). The answer is that the effect depends on how fast you're going, and you're going very slow. If your watch says 3:00 when you get back, then all your clocks at home should read a later time. After all, while you're driving your watch should run slower than all the clocks which are sitting still in your home. For example, according to what I just got done saying, if you drive from Omaha to Kansas City and back, you should have to reset your watch when you get home. The Gamma Factor The Gamma FactorAt this point, you may be wondering why you've never noticed the effects of length contraction and time dilation in everyday life.
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