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Online Course Support | Understanding Einstein: The Special Theory of Relativity

True or false: The proper length of an object is always greater than its length as measured by an observer who is moving with respect to the object.
ByAdmin July 27, 2021July 29, 2021

5. Question 5 True or false: The proper length of an object is always greater than its length as measured by an observer who is moving with respect to the…

Read More True or false: The proper length of an object is always greater than its length as measured by an observer who is moving with respect to the object.
Online Course Support | Understanding Einstein: The Special Theory of Relativity

Alice is observing the arrivals and departures at a spaceport. She observes one flight land at pad D7, and then notes another flight take off from pad G23 seventeen seconds later. Alice knows that the distance between pad D7 and pad G23 is 1240 meters in her frame of reference. Meanwhile, Bob flies by the spaceport at a high speed V and observes the same landing and takeoff, though he records a different time and distance between the two events, based on his frame of reference. If both Alice and Bob plug in their values for the elapsed time and distance between the landing and takeoff into the formulas below (where c is the speed of light, t is the elapsed time, and x is the distance), which one will give the same answer for both?
ByAdmin July 27, 2021July 29, 2021

11. Question 11 Alice is observing the arrivals and departures at a spaceport. She observes one flight land at pad D7, and then notes another flight take off from pad…

Read More Alice is observing the arrivals and departures at a spaceport. She observes one flight land at pad D7, and then notes another flight take off from pad G23 seventeen seconds later. Alice knows that the distance between pad D7 and pad G23 is 1240 meters in her frame of reference. Meanwhile, Bob flies by the spaceport at a high speed V and observes the same landing and takeoff, though he records a different time and distance between the two events, based on his frame of reference. If both Alice and Bob plug in their values for the elapsed time and distance between the landing and takeoff into the formulas below (where c is the speed of light, t is the elapsed time, and x is the distance), which one will give the same answer for both?
Online Course Support | Understanding Einstein: The Special Theory of Relativity

Consider Alice’s spaceship with the paintball apparatus that shoots two paintballs toward clocks at opposite ends of her ship, each with speed S relative to the apparatus (similar to the video lecture). Assume that Alice has properly synchronized her clocks, that her spaceship is moving with speed V to the right (in the positive x direction) relative to Bob, that S is greater than V, and that S and V are much less than the speed of light. According to Bob’s observation of Alice’s spaceship (and clocks and paintballs) flying by, what will be the speed of the paintball that is moving to the left? (In other words, what is the speed in Bob’s frame of reference? We’re interested in the speed as the magnitude of velocity, so don’t worry about whether it might be positive or negative.)
ByAdmin July 27, 2021July 29, 2021

1. Question 1 Consider Alice’s spaceship with the paintball apparatus that shoots two paintballs toward clocks at opposite ends of her ship, each with speed S relative to the apparatus…

Read More Consider Alice’s spaceship with the paintball apparatus that shoots two paintballs toward clocks at opposite ends of her ship, each with speed S relative to the apparatus (similar to the video lecture). Assume that Alice has properly synchronized her clocks, that her spaceship is moving with speed V to the right (in the positive x direction) relative to Bob, that S is greater than V, and that S and V are much less than the speed of light. According to Bob’s observation of Alice’s spaceship (and clocks and paintballs) flying by, what will be the speed of the paintball that is moving to the left? (In other words, what is the speed in Bob’s frame of reference? We’re interested in the speed as the magnitude of velocity, so don’t worry about whether it might be positive or negative.)
Online Course Support | Understanding Einstein: The Special Theory of Relativity

Consider two identical light clocks, designed as explained in lecture. Bob has one, and Alice takes the other on her spaceship and flies by Bob at speed V near the speed of light. True or false: The time dilation effect means that Alice observes time slowing down on her clock.
ByAdmin July 27, 2021July 29, 2021

10. Question 10 Consider two identical light clocks, designed as explained in lecture. Bob has one, and Alice takes the other on her spaceship and flies by Bob at speed…

Read More Consider two identical light clocks, designed as explained in lecture. Bob has one, and Alice takes the other on her spaceship and flies by Bob at speed V near the speed of light. True or false: The time dilation effect means that Alice observes time slowing down on her clock.
Online Course Support | Understanding Einstein: The Special Theory of Relativity

Of the following velocities, at what velocity (approximately) does the Lorentz factor start to become noticeably different from the value of 1 (where c is the speed of light)?
ByAdmin July 27, 2021July 29, 2021

8. Question 8 Of the following velocities, at what velocity (approximately) does the Lorentz factor start to become noticeably different from the value of 1 (where c is the speed…

Read More Of the following velocities, at what velocity (approximately) does the Lorentz factor start to become noticeably different from the value of 1 (where c is the speed of light)?
Online Course Support | Understanding Einstein: The Special Theory of Relativity

Consider two identical light clocks, designed as explained in lecture. Bob has one, and Alice takes the other on her spaceship and flies by Bob at speed V. Bob observes Alice’s clock. What is the relationship between the duration of one tick on Bob’s clock and the duration of one tick on Alice’s clock, according to Bob (where γ represents the Lorentz factor)? (Tip: Think about the light clock diagram and the value of the Lorentz factor.)
ByAdmin July 27, 2021July 29, 2021

9. Question 9 Consider two identical light clocks, designed as explained in lecture. Bob has one, and Alice takes the other on her spaceship and flies by Bob at speed…

Read More Consider two identical light clocks, designed as explained in lecture. Bob has one, and Alice takes the other on her spaceship and flies by Bob at speed V. Bob observes Alice’s clock. What is the relationship between the duration of one tick on Bob’s clock and the duration of one tick on Alice’s clock, according to Bob (where γ represents the Lorentz factor)? (Tip: Think about the light clock diagram and the value of the Lorentz factor.)
Online Course Support

From the perspective of a person at the surface of the Earth, how does the special theory of relativity explain how muons created high in the atmosphere make it to down to the surface, when it seems like they should decay before they get there?
ByAdmin July 27, 2021

6. Question 6 From the perspective of a person at the surface of the Earth, how does the special theory of relativity explain how muons created high in the atmosphere…

Read More From the perspective of a person at the surface of the Earth, how does the special theory of relativity explain how muons created high in the atmosphere make it to down to the surface, when it seems like they should decay before they get there?
Online Course Support

The spaceships of Bob and Alice sit side-by-side at a spaceport. They measure them and both agree that each spaceship is 26 meters long. Alice takes off and Bob observes Alice’s spaceship go by at a constant velocity such that the Lorentz factor is 2
ByAdmin July 27, 2021

4. Question 4 The spaceships of Bob and Alice sit side-by-side at a spaceport. They measure them and both agree that each spaceship is 26 meters long. Alice takes off…

Read More The spaceships of Bob and Alice sit side-by-side at a spaceport. They measure them and both agree that each spaceship is 26 meters long. Alice takes off and Bob observes Alice’s spaceship go by at a constant velocity such that the Lorentz factor is 2
Online Course Support

In the early 1700s James Bradley observed the phenomenon of stellar aberration. What does it involve?
ByAdmin July 27, 2021

7. Question 7 In the early 1700s James Bradley observed the phenomenon of stellar aberration. What does it involve? 1 point Due to the ether drag effect, a telescope…

Read More In the early 1700s James Bradley observed the phenomenon of stellar aberration. What does it involve?
Online Course Support

What was the famous “null result” of the Michelson-Morley experiment?
ByAdmin July 27, 2021July 27, 2021

6. Question 6 What was the famous “null result” of the Michelson-Morley experiment? 1 point Within experimental error, Michelson and Morley proved that there is no ether drag effect…

Read More What was the famous “null result” of the Michelson-Morley experiment?

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