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WorksheetsYr12 Special Relativity
Total questions: 70
Worksheet time: 1hrs 2mins
In what year did Einstein develop his theory of relativity?
1880
1905
1914
1921
According to Einstein what quantity is subjective and variable?
time
energy
matter
God
Where did Einstein migrate form and to when fleeing Nazi persecution?
Germany : England
Soviet Union : Germany
Germany : US
US : England
Germany : Switzerland
A train is traveling 50 m/s north on a track. A passenger on the train walks to the bathroom 1 m/s to the north. What is the speed of the passenger relative to the train?
1 m/s
51 m/s
49 m/s
50 m/s
A dog and a cat are at a stand-off, running towards each other, both at 12 m/s. What is the magnitude of velocity of the cat relative to the dog?
12 m/s
24 m/s
0 m/s
6 m/s
The muon detection experiment helped confirm one aspect of special relativity, namely that:
to a muon distance was contracted.
muons are created in the upper atmosphere.
muons are relatively short-lived.
fewer muons reach the ground than expected.
A passenger at the rear of a train traveling at 15 m/s relative to the ground throws a baseball with a speed of 15 m/s in the direction opposite the motion of the train. What is the velocity of the baseball relative to the ground as it leaves the thrower’s hand? In other words: how fast does a person on the ground see the ball move?
30 m/s
15 m/s
0 m/s
20 m/s
A train is traveling 50 m/s north on a track. A passenger on the train walks to the bathroom 1 m/s to the north. What is the speed of the passenger relative to the train?
1 m/s
51 m/s
49 m/s
50 m/s
A dog and a cat are at a stand-off, running towards each other, both at 12 m/s. What is the magnitude of velocity of the cat relative to the dog?
12 m/s
24 m/s
0 m/s
6 m/s
The two postulates of special relativity are:
The laws of physics are the same in all inertial frames of reference.
The laws of physics are the same in all non-inertial frames of reference.
The speed of light in a vacuum is c in all inertial frames of reference.
The speed of light in a vacuum is c unless in an inertial frame of reference.
Newtonian Physics does not explain...
The lifetime of muons.
Light being able to travel through a vacuum.
Impulse and momentum.
Space and time.
The energy equivalent of 5.0 × 10-3 kilogram is
4.5 X 10^14 J
1.37 X 10^14 J
2.25 X 10^16 J
2.34 X 10^15 J
At what speed will an electron’s relativistic momentum be exactly 1.5 times its Newtonian momentum?
0.5c
0.87c
0.75c
0.6c
What is the relativistic momentum of an object with a rest mass of 1.0 kg travelling at 0.85c?
1.6 kgm/s
0.85 kgm/s
0.45 kgm/s
100 kgm/s
Which one of the following is a true statement about momentum?
Newtonian momentum remains constant as speed is increased.
Relativistic momentum doubles when speed is doubled.
At low speeds Newtonian momentum is just slightly greater than relativistic momentum
An object travelling at 1.00c would have an infinite amount of momentum.
The rest mass of an electron is 9.109 × 10-31 kg. What is the momentum of an electron travelling at a speed 0.985c?
5.20 x 10-30 kgms-1
1.56 x 10-31 kgms-1
8.97 × 10-31 kg m s-1
2.69 × 10-22 kg m s-1
Twins Jo and Betty build a spaceship capable of travelling at 0.8c. Betty uses the space ship to travel to a star A 6 light years away, while Jo stays back on Earth. How much time does it take Betty to reach star A according to Jo?
7.5 years
10 years
4 years
6 years
On the spaceship travelling at 0.8c, what is the distance Betty measures to star A (6 ly away in Earth's reference frame), and much time passes for her to reach the star system?
The distance is 3.6 lightyears, so it takes her 4.5 years.
The distance is 6 lightyears which takes her 4.5 years.
The distance is 5 lightyears, so it takes her 6.25 years.
The distance is 6 light years which takes her 7.5 years
On arriving at Star A Betty quickly collects some data, then turns the star ship around and heads home the 6 light years at 0.8c. How have the twins aged by the time she gets home?
Betty has aged 9 years and Jo 15 years
Jo has aged 9 years and Betty 15 years
Both twins are have aged by 9 years
Both twins have aged by 15 years
Since all references frames are equal, what is the apparent paradox about the twin's ages.
In Jo's reference frame Betty travelling on the spaceship at 0.8c should age faster than Jo.
In Betty's reference frame, she is standing still and Earth is moving away at 0.8c, therefore Betty will be older than Jo when she returns.
In Jo's reference frame Betty is moving at 0.8c, therefore the distance she needs to travel is longer than 6 light years.
Since Betty is travelling at 0.8c her relativistic momentum is less than her Newtonian momentum.
Since all references frames are equal, what is the apparent paradox about the twin's ages.
In Jo's reference frame Betty travelling on the spaceship at 0.8c should age faster than Jo.
In Betty's reference frame, she is standing still and Earth is moving away at 0.8c, therefore Betty will be older than Jo when she returns.
In Jo's reference frame Betty is moving at 0.8c, therefore the distance she needs to travel is longer than 6 light years.
Since Betty is travelling at 0.8c her relativistic momentum is less than her Newtonian momentum.
What is the resolution to the paradox, that Jo (on Earth) should age more than Betty (moving away at 0.8c in the rocket) in Jo's reference frame and Betty should age more than Jo in Betty's reference frame (in which Earth is moving away from her at 0.8c)?
Jo ages more when Betty is travelling away from Earth and Betty ages more on the return trip
Special relativity only applies to inertial (non-accelerating) reference frames and the rocket accelerates at the beginning and end of its journey.
Earth cannot move at 0.8c therefore only Jo ages
Jo's Newtonian momentum is zero so her relativistic momentum is also zero
Muons created by cosmic radiation 10 km above the surface of the Earth travelling at 0.98c have a half-life of 1.56 x 10-6 s (in the muon's inertial frame). Approximately how many half lives would it take for a muon to travel 10km in Newtonian travel?
22
10
3
4.5
Muons created by cosmic radiation 10 km above the surface of the Earth travelling at 0.98c have a half-life of 1.56 x 10-6 s (in the muon's inertial frame). Approximately how many half lives would it take for a muon to travel 10km in Newtonian travel?
22
10
3
4.5
What is the paradox to do with muons in the upper atmosphere, that was used to validate special relativity
more muons were detected at the earth's surface than would be expected from their half-life
fewer muons were detected at the earth's surface than would be expected from their half life
the muons had to travel faster than the speed of light to reach the earth's surface
the muons travelled backwards in time to reach the earth's surface
Why did more muons reach the surface than expected (recall the muon life-time is 1.56 μs and it is travelling at 0.98c)
In the muon's reference frame one half-life is dilated to 7.8 μs so it travels slower
In Earth's reference frame the length is contracted to 2 km
In Earth's reference frame one half-life is dilated to 7.8 μs
In the muon's reference frame the length is contracted to 5.4 km
If Penny, carrying a 40 m pole, is running at 0.87c can observer Bill standing at the center of a 20m barn simultaneously close both the doors with the pole inside as Penny runs through?
No, because in Bill's reference frame the barn is 9.9 m and the pole is 40 m
No, because in Bills's reference frame the barn is 20 m and the pole is 40 m
Yes, because in Bill's reference frame the pole is 19.7 m and the barn is 20 m
Yes, because in Bill's reference frame the barn is 40.6 m and the pole is 40 m
Penny is running at 0.87c. In her reference frame can the 40m pole fit inside the 20 m barn with both doors closed simultaneously?
No, because in Penny's reference frame the barn is 9.9 m and the pole is 40m
No, because in Penny's reference frame the barn is 20 m and the pole is 40 m
Yes, because the pole is 19.7 m and the barn is 20 m
Yes, because the barn is 40.6 m and the pole is 40 m
In Bill's reference frame the pole can fit inside the barn with both doors shut, while in Penny's frame the pole is too long. How is this paradox resolved?
In Penny's reference frame the doors close on the pole and break it
It will only work if Bill closes and opens the far door first and then the near door, rather than closing the doors simultaneously
Simultaneity is preserved between reference frames, so in Penny's reference frame both doors close and reopen after she has run completely through the barn
Simultaneity is not preserved between reference frames, so in Penny's reference frame the far door closes before she reaches it then reopens, then the near door closes after she passes it, then reopens.
On a train travelling at 0.6c, an observer sitting in the middle of a train carriage sees 2 lights at each end of the carriage turn on simultaneously. What would an observer on the platform see?
Both lights turn on simultaneously
The front light turn on first
The rear light turn on first
The lights flash
There are two clocks one is stationary on the earth the other is traveling close to the speed of light around the earth. If we put the clocks back together after the second clock makes it back from its trip, the times are compared. What do you expect to occur?
More time elapsed on the stationary clock
More time elapsed on the traveling clock
No time has changed between them
Why is Special Relativity "special"?
It's for all cases
It's only for objects moving at a constant velocity
It's only for accelerating objects
It's for objects rotating
A rocket leaves Earth and travels to a star that is 20 light years as seen by the Earth. The speed of the rocket is 0.8c relative to the Earth. The time for the trip as measured on by the astronauts in the spaceship is
25 years
20 years
16 years
12 years
A rocket leaves Earth and travels to a star that is 20 light years as seen by the Earth. The speed of the rocket is 0.8c relative to the Earth. The distance from Earth to the star as measured by the astronauts is
25 light years
20 light years
16 light years
12 light years
The muon detection experiment helped confirm one aspect of special relativity, namely that:
to a muon distance was contracted.
muons are created in the upper atmosphere.
muons are relatively short-lived.
fewer muons reach the ground than expected.
A passenger at the rear of a train traveling at 15 m/s relative to the ground throws a baseball with a speed of 15 m/s in the direction opposite the motion of the train. What is the velocity of the baseball relative to the ground as it leaves the thrower’s hand? In other words: how fast does a person on the ground see the ball move?
30 m/s
15 m/s
0 m/s
20 m/s
A train is traveling 50 m/s north on a track. A passenger on the train walks to the bathroom 1 m/s to the north. What is the speed of the passenger relative to the train?
1 m/s
51 m/s
49 m/s
50 m/s
A dog and a cat are at a stand-off, running towards each other, both at 12 m/s. What is the magnitude of velocity of the cat relative to the dog?
12 m/s
24 m/s
0 m/s
6 m/s
The two postulates of special relativity are:
The laws of physics are the same in all inertial frames of reference.
The laws of physics are the same in all non-inertial frames of reference.
The speed of light in a vacuum is c in all inertial frames of reference.
The speed of light in a vacuum is c unless in an inertial frame of reference.
Newtonian Physics does not explain...
The lifetime of muons.
Light being able to travel through a vacuum.
Impulse and momentum.
Space and time.
What is the formula for special relativity?
E=MC2
E=MS2
C=ME2
M=EC2
What are the name of Einsteins (4) dimenions?
A, B, C, Time
X, Y, Z, Time
L, W, H, Time
W, X, Y, Z
The Michaelson-Morley experiment proved that ether exists.
AGREE
DISAGREE
The speed of light is different across all reference frames
AGREE
DISAGREE
Relative simultaneity states that all events are simultaneous across all reference frames.
AGREE
DISAGREE
