Physics Special Relativity | 68 Questions And Answers
With Verified Solutions 100% Correct | New Update
If you walk at 1 km/h down the aisle toward the front of a train that moves at 60
km/h, what is your speed relative to the ground? - ANSWER 61 km/h
What hypothesis did G. F. FitzGerald make to explain the findings of Michelson
and Morley? - ANSWER The length of the material in the experiment
contracted in the direction of motion.
What classical idea about space and time did Einstein reject? - ANSWER
Einstein rejected the idea that space and time are independent
The famous Michelson-Morley interferometer experiment showed that the speed
of light was - ANSWER of the same value in any state of relative motion
What is the same in Einstein's first postulate? - ANSWER All laws of nature
in all uniformly moving frames of reference
What is constant in Einstein's second postulate? - ANSWER The speed of
light in a vacuum
The speed of light in free space is - ANSWER a constant
Inside the moving compartment of Figure 35.4, light travels a certain distance to
the front end and a certain distance to the back end of the compartment. How do
, these distances compare as seen in the frame of reference of the moving rocket? -
ANSWER The distances travelled by light are the same
How do the distances in Reading Check Question 7 compare as seen in the frame
of reference of an observer on a stationary planet? - ANSWER The distance
travelled by light to the back is shorter
Each figure below shows a spaceship moving past your spaceship ("YOU") at the
indicated speed. Assume that all the spaceships have equal length when at rest
and that you watch the other spaceship as its clock ticks off one second. Rank the
figures based on the length that you would measure for the other spaceship (in its
direction of motion), from shortest to longest. - ANSWER Shortest to
Longest Length: speed of 0.85 C, 0.8 C, 0.75 C, 0.7 C
The four figures below are the same as those in Part A. This time, rank the figures
based on your length as measured by the passenger in the other spaceship, from
shortest to longest. - ANSWER Shortest to Longest Length: speed of 0.85 C,
0.8 C, 0.75 C, 0.7 C
We can summarize the results of Parts A and B as follows: When another
spaceship is moving by you (at constant velocity), you will measure the spaceship
to be shorter than its rest length, while passengers on that ship will measure your
length to be shorter. Imagine that you and the passengers on the other ship are
arguing (by radio) about who really is the one that has become shorter. To settle
the argument, you agree to meet up on Mars and put the two spaceships next to
each other to see which one is really shorter. What will you find when you meet
up on Mars? - ANSWER Both spaceships are the same length
Each figure below shows a spaceship moving past your spaceship ("YOU") at the
indicated speed. Imagine that you watch the other spaceship as its clock ticks off
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