I recall my physics teacher (of years past) stating you cannot accelerate a frame of reference, IIRC. Please help me refresh my memory as to what he meant by this and/or in what context he may have “couched” such a statement. Let’s say I’m on an accelerating passenger train, and I throw a ball forward…isn’t the ball’s speed (although changing) still relative to either the train or the ground at any one instance?
What is it I’m forgetting, misapplying, or misunderstanding? Thanks!
I’m not sure what he meant by that… The closest I can guess is that what he said, or meant to say, is that you cannot apply Newton’s laws as-is in an accelerating reference frame. If you’re working in an accelerated frame, then you have to introduce so-called fictitious forces, that is to say forces which are not exerted by anything, in order to make everything work.
I don’t get it either, but here’s a piece of a Stewed Mulligan song about Albert Einstein:
"Had a frame of reference,
Laid it on a fence.
Showed it relativity,
Ain’t seen the damn thing since.
(chorus)
Albert, dance around.
Albert, be profound.
Albert, let your hair stick out,
And your socks fall down."