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

True or false: Using a matter-antimatter propulsion system and a reasonable rate of acceleration, it would not require too much fuel (less than 1000 kilograms) to travel to nearby stars in a reasonable amount of time in the rocket’s frame of reference.

8. Question 8 True or false: Using a matter-antimatter propulsion system and a reasonable rate of acceleration, it would not require too much fuel (less than 1000 kilograms) to travel…

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

True or false: Time dilation and other strange consequences of the theory of relativity are actual, real-world phenomena.

7. Question 7 True or false: Time dilation and other strange consequences of the theory of relativity are actual, real-world phenomena. 1 point   True False

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

If Alice travels to the center of the galaxy at a speed very close to the speed of light, what would she see with her eyes (assuming she looked out in her direction of travel)?

5. Question 5 If Alice travels to the center of the galaxy at a speed very close to the speed of light, what would she see with her eyes (assuming…

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

True or false: The Kauffman episode shows that the impact of a “crucial” experiment on supporting or refuting a theory is often less than assumed.

4. Question 4 True or false: The Kauffman episode shows that the impact of a “crucial” experiment on supporting or refuting a theory is often less than assumed. 1 point…

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

If Alice travels from Earth to the center of the galaxy in ten (10) years, and the distance to the center of the galaxy in the Earth frame of reference is 30,000 light years, how far is it (approximately) from Earth to the center of the galaxy from her perspective?

1. Question 1 If Alice travels from Earth to the center of the galaxy in ten (10) years, and the distance to the center of the galaxy in the Earth…

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

In the lecture on “Spaceships on a rope,” the reason that the rope breaks according to the perspective of the stationary observer (A) is:

5. Question 5 In the lecture on “Spaceships on a rope,” the reason that the rope breaks according to the perspective of the stationary observer (A) is: 1 point  …

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

In the twin paradox example done in lecture, how does Alice explain the fact that when she returns, Bob has aged more than she has, even though on both legs of her trip when she was traveling at 0.6c she observed his clocks to run more slowly than hers?

10. Question 10 In the twin paradox example done in lecture, how does Alice explain the fact that when she returns, Bob has aged more than she has, even though…

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

In the twin paradox example done in lecture, it seems that Alice’s and Bob’s situations should be parallel or symmetric to each other. That is, Bob observes Alice travel to the star and back, but from Alice’s frame of reference, it is Bob that travels away (in the opposite direction) and returns. Why aren’t their situations symmetrical?

7. Question 7 In the twin paradox example done in lecture, it seems that Alice’s and Bob’s situations should be parallel or symmetric to each other. That is, Bob observes…