Module 7: The Nature of Light Topic 4: Special Relativity
Foundation
1. Outline the difference between an inertial and non-inertial frame of reference.
............................................................................................................................
............................................................................................................................
............................................................................................................................
2. Identify Einstein’s two postulates of special relativity.
............................................................................................................................
............................................................................................................................
............................................................................................................................
3. An astronaut stands a 5.00 hour watch on his spaceship which is moving through space at 0.400c.
How much time would pass for an observer on Earth during this watch?
............................................................................................................................
............................................................................................................................
............................................................................................................................
F 5.46 h F
4. A 120 m long spacecraft flies past the Earth at 0.80c.
What is the apparent length of the spacecraft as observed by an observer on Earth?
............................................................................................................................
............................................................................................................................
............................................................................................................................
F 72 m F
−1−
Development
1. Which of these is the best conclusion drawn from the famous null result of the Michelson-Morley
experiment?
(a) The luminiferous aether could not be detected because it was being dragged by the earth
(b) The speed of light in the area of the experiment is constant in every direction
(c) Light exhibits particle properties and hence does not produce interference fringes
(d) Time dilates depending on the direction of the aether movement
2. Which of these is not an inertial frame of reference?
(a) Being inside a car driving down a straight highway at constant speed
(b) Being inside a plane descending at constant velocity
(c) Being inside a train moving on a circular track at constant speed
(d) Skydiving in a straight line while at terminal velocity
3. A basketball is moving at relativistic speeds in the vertical direction as shown below.
How would a stationary observer see the basketball?
(a) (c)
(b) (d)
−2−
4. A scientist has a dream where he flies from Sydney to Canberra at a speed of 0.9995c, which is
300 km away according to Google maps.
What is the distance he travels according to himself?
(a) 300 m
(b) 300 km
(c) 9486 m
(d) 9486 km
5. A train travelling at relativistic speeds approaches a tunnel. At rest, the train normally does
not fit inside the tunnel lengthwise. However, according to an observer standing by the road,
the vehicle fits inside the tunnel perfectly when it is moving.
According to an observer inside the train, which of the following is true?
(a) The vehicle will fit inside the tunnel because the tunnel will dilate
(b) The vehicle will not fit inside the tunnel because the vehicle will dilate
(c) The vehicle will fit inside the tunnel because the vehicle will contract
(d) The vehicle will not fit inside the tunnel because the tunnel will contract
6. Uranium-235 can undergo alpha decay as shown by the nuclear equation below:
235
92 U → 231 4
90 Th + 2 He
If 235.0439299 kg of uranium-235 undergoes alpha decay to form 231.0363043 kg of thorium-231
and 4.0026030 kg of helium-4, how much energy will be released?
(a) 2.70 × 1014 J
(b) 3.68 × 1014 J
(c) 4.52 × 1014 J
(d) 5.93 × 1014 J
7. An immortal snail travels in a ship capable of moving at 0.8c between two points in the Milky
way. The distance between the two points is 2.7×1013 km as measured by an observer on Earth.
According to an observer on Earth, how long does this journey take?
(a) 781 days
(b) 1042 days
(c) 1302 days
(d) 2170 days
8. Earth sends a radio wave to a spaceship which is travelling directly away from Earth at 0.4c.
At what speed is the radio wave received by the spaceship?
(a) 0.4c
(b) 0.6c
(c) c
(d) 1.4c
−3−
9. The nearest galaxy to ours is the Large Magellanic Cloud, with its centre located 1.70 × 105
light years from Earth. Assume you are in a spacecraft travelling at a speed of 0.99999c toward
the Large Magellanic Cloud.
(a) In your frame of reference, what is the distance between Earth and the Large Magellanic 2
Cloud?
.......................................................................................................................
.......................................................................................................................
.......................................................................................................................
.......................................................................................................................
(b) In your frame of reference, how long will it take you to travel from Earth to the Large 1
Magellanic Cloud?
.......................................................................................................................
.......................................................................................................................
.......................................................................................................................
.......................................................................................................................
F 760 ly, 760 yr F
10. The sun has an energy output of 3.85 × 1028 W. 2
Calculate how much the sun’s mass decreases every hour.
............................................................................................................................
............................................................................................................................
............................................................................................................................
............................................................................................................................
............................................................................................................................
............................................................................................................................
F 1.54 × 1015 kg F
−4−
11. Muons are created in the upper atmosphere and travel towards sea level with an average speed
of 0.994c. The average life time of a stationary muon is 2.2 µs.
(a) Calculate how far the muon can travel according to an observer on Earth. 2
.......................................................................................................................
.......................................................................................................................
.......................................................................................................................
.......................................................................................................................
.......................................................................................................................
(b) According to classical physics, the muon should only be able to travel roughly 656 m in 3
their life time.
Explain why the classical physics fails to accurately predict the number of muons that
can reach sea level.
.......................................................................................................................
.......................................................................................................................
.......................................................................................................................
.......................................................................................................................
.......................................................................................................................
.......................................................................................................................
.......................................................................................................................
.......................................................................................................................
.......................................................................................................................
F 6.0 × 103 m F
12. You are travelling at a constant velocity of 0.3c towards a plane, which is travelling at a constant 2
velocity of 0.6c towards you. The plane then shoots a laser beam at you.
What would you perceive the speed of the laser beam to be? Justify your answer.
............................................................................................................................
............................................................................................................................
............................................................................................................................
............................................................................................................................
............................................................................................................................
−5−
13. An electron is travelling at a constant velocity of 0.80c in a linear particle accelerator. The
electron travels a distance of 150 m as measured by a stationary observer in the laboratory.
(a) How far does the electron travel from its frame of reference? 2
.......................................................................................................................
.......................................................................................................................
.......................................................................................................................
.......................................................................................................................
(b) Compare the times taken for this journey in both the electron’s and laboratory’s frame of 2
reference. Include relevant calculations in your answer.
.......................................................................................................................
.......................................................................................................................
.......................................................................................................................
.......................................................................................................................
.......................................................................................................................
.......................................................................................................................
(c) Explain why it is impossible to accelerate the electron to the speed of light. 2
.......................................................................................................................
.......................................................................................................................
.......................................................................................................................
.......................................................................................................................
.......................................................................................................................
.......................................................................................................................
F 90 m, (3.8 × 10−7 s, 6.3 × 10−7 s) F
−6−
14. Two brothers, who are exactly 2.50 years apart in age, volunteer for NASA’s time dilation 3
experiment. The experiment involves the older brother being placed in a spaceship which
travels away from Earth at 0.500c while the younger brother stays on Earth. The older brother
stays on the spaceship until he is one year younger than his once younger brother.
How long does the older brother need to stay on the spaceship from his frame of reference?
............................................................................................................................
............................................................................................................................
............................................................................................................................
............................................................................................................................
............................................................................................................................
............................................................................................................................
............................................................................................................................
............................................................................................................................
............................................................................................................................
............................................................................................................................
F 22.6 yr F
15. Describe TWO pieces of experimental evidence that supports Einstein’s theory of special 4
relativity.
............................................................................................................................
............................................................................................................................
............................................................................................................................
............................................................................................................................
............................................................................................................................
............................................................................................................................
............................................................................................................................
............................................................................................................................
............................................................................................................................
−7−
16. Dennis is in a jet travelling at relativistic speeds.
(a) He observes a firework display that lasts 12.0 seconds. However, according to people on 2
earth the fireworks lasted 8.0 seconds.
Calculate the speed of the jet.
.......................................................................................................................
.......................................................................................................................
.......................................................................................................................
.......................................................................................................................
.......................................................................................................................
(b) The jet is 20 m long and flies into a spaceport 14 m long at a constant speed. Observers 2
see that the jet just fits perfectly inside the spaceport.
What is the speed of the jet now?
.......................................................................................................................
.......................................................................................................................
.......................................................................................................................
.......................................................................................................................
.......................................................................................................................
(c) i. Suppose that the jet travels at 0.60c while flying into the 14 m long spaceport. 2
How long does it take for the jet to re-emerge from the port according to Dennis?
..................................................................................................................
..................................................................................................................
..................................................................................................................
..................................................................................................................
ii. How long does it take a observer on the port to see the jet to re-emerge? 1
..................................................................................................................
..................................................................................................................
..................................................................................................................
F 2.2 × 108 m s−1 , 2.1 × 108 m s−1 , 6.2 × 10−8 s, 7.8 × 10−8 s F
−8−
17. The distance to the star Alpha Centuari is 4.367 light years as measured from Earth. 3
Calculate the speed that a rocket would need to complete the journey from Earth to Alpha
Centauri in 3.28 years from the frame of reference of the rocket.
............................................................................................................................
............................................................................................................................
............................................................................................................................
............................................................................................................................
............................................................................................................................
............................................................................................................................
............................................................................................................................
............................................................................................................................
F 2.40 × 108 m s−1 F
18. When an electron interacts with a positron with negligible kinetic energy, two gamma rays are
produced according to the following annihilation event.
0 0
−1 e + +1 e →γ+γ
(a) Calculate the total energy produced during this annihilation event. 1
.......................................................................................................................
.......................................................................................................................
.......................................................................................................................
.......................................................................................................................
(b) Calculate the minimum frequency of a gamma ray produced by this annihilation event. 1
.......................................................................................................................
.......................................................................................................................
.......................................................................................................................
.......................................................................................................................
F 1.64 × 10−13 J, 1.24 × 1020 Hz F
−9−
Extension (Optional)
1. A particle with a rest mass of mo travelling at a constant relativistic velocity of v has a
relativistic momentum of p and a total relativistic energy of E.
(a) Show that: 6
E 2 = p2 c2 + mo 2 c4
.......................................................................................................................
.......................................................................................................................
.......................................................................................................................
.......................................................................................................................
.......................................................................................................................
.......................................................................................................................
.......................................................................................................................
.......................................................................................................................
.......................................................................................................................
.......................................................................................................................
.......................................................................................................................
.......................................................................................................................
.......................................................................................................................
.......................................................................................................................
.......................................................................................................................
.......................................................................................................................
.......................................................................................................................
.......................................................................................................................
.......................................................................................................................
.......................................................................................................................
.......................................................................................................................
.......................................................................................................................
.......................................................................................................................
.......................................................................................................................
.......................................................................................................................
−10−
(b) Hence, show that the wavelength (λ) of a photon is given by: 2
h
λ=
p
.......................................................................................................................
.......................................................................................................................
.......................................................................................................................
.......................................................................................................................
.......................................................................................................................
.......................................................................................................................
(c) Briefly comment on the significance of the expression in part (b) in terms of a photon’s 1
momentum and mass.
.......................................................................................................................
.......................................................................................................................
−11−