Modern Physics: PHY 104 Spring Semester 2020

Assignment 2
Due Date: March 02, 2020, 04:01 p.m. in the orange box

NOTE:
• There are total 70 credit points. Only correctly attempted problems will be given credit.
• To get full credit for each problem, show all work. Both the detailed solution and answer
must be correct.
• Units should be properly used as should be the “=” sign.
• Clearly write the name and roll numbers of yourself and your group-members (max. 3
allowed).

1. Suppose that an event occurs in inertial frame S with coordinates x = 75m, y = 18m, z = 4.0m
at t = 2.0 × 10−5 s. The inertial frame S 0 moves in the +x direction with v = 0.85c. The origins
of S and S 0 coincided at t = t0 = 0.

(a) What are the coordinates of the event in S 0 ? (3 points)

(b) Write down the inverse Lorentz transformations. (3 points)
(c) Use the inverse Lorentz transformation on the results of part-a to obtain the original coor-
dinates. (3 points)

2. A particle moves with speed 0.9c along the x00 axis of frame S 00 , which moves with speed 0.9c in
the positive x0 direction relative to frame S 0 . Frame S 0 moves with speed 0.9c in the positive x
direction relative to frame S.

(a) Find the speed of the particle relative to frame S 0 . (2 points)

(b) Find the speed of the particle relative to frame S. (2 points)
(c) Explain how the above calculations prove that two successive Lorentz transformations are
equivalent to one direct transformation. i.e., (3 points)

v + v0
v 00 = 0
1 + vv
c2

3. The light from a nearby star is observed to be shifted toward the blue by 2 percent, i.e., fobs =
1.02fsource . Is the star approaching or receding from Earth? How fast is it moving? (Assume
motion is directly toward or away from Earth.) (4 points)

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Modern Physics: PHY 104 Spring Semester 2020

4. The hydrogen lines observed in the spectrum of quasar 3C9 are shifted so far into the red that
their wavelengths are three times as long as those observed in the light from hydrogen atoms at
rest in a laboratory on earth. If it is assumed that the shift is entirely due to the relative motion of
3C9 and earth, find the relative speed of the quasar. (3 points)

5. In class, it was shown that F = γ 3 ma and K.E. = (γ − 1) mc2 .

(a) Prove that, F = γ 3 ma. All the terms have their usual meaning. (3 points)
(b) Show that, when v  c, the above two results reduce to standard non-relativistic mechanics
results, i.e., F = ma and K.E = 21 mv 2 . (4 points)
(c) In science fiction stories, spaceships routinely reach speeds equal to or in excess of the
speed of light. What is wrong with this? (3 points)

6. (a) Find the rest mass and velocity (in terms of c) of a particle with total energy 5.0 GeV and
momentum 4.9 GeV/c? (4 points)
(1 GeV = 109 eV, and 1eV is a unit of energy equal to the work done on an electron in
accelerating it through a potential difference of one volt. 1 eV = 1.602 × 10−19 J.)
(b) Find the momentum and velocity (in terms of c) of a proton with total energy 7000 GeV
and rest mass m0 = 1.6726 × 10−27 kg = 938 MeV/c2 ? (4 points)
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(1 MeV = 10 eV)

7. How much energy (in Joules) would be required by each of following mass, m = (mass of
electron me− = 9.109 × 10−31 kg, m = 1 g, m = mhuman = 70 kg to accelerate it from rest to the
following speeds:

(a) 0.5c (2 points)

(b) 0.99c (2 points)
(c) 0.9c (2 points)

8. Suppose a driver has a car and a garage of equal proper length. The driver speeds toward the
garage and a doorman at the garage is instructed to slam the door shut as soon as the back end
of the car enters the garage. According to the doorman, “the car Lorentz contracted and easily
fitted into the garage when I slammed the door.” According to the driver, “the garage Lorentz
contracted and was too small for the car when I entered the garage.” Explain what really happens?
Is the doorman’s statement correct? Is the driver’s statement correct? (9 points)

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Modern Physics: PHY 104 Spring Semester 2020

9. After committing a crime, a group of outlaws find a getaway car and try to escape. Due to over-
speeding, the police are alerted and start to chase them. The outlaws’ getaway car is moving at
a speed of 34 c (with respect to ground), while the police car is slow and is moving at 12 c (with
respect to ground). The police officer fires a bullet from his car to the getaway car with a velocity
(relative to the gun) of 31 c.

Note that, there are four different observers/frames in this case, i.e., outlaws, police, bullet and
ground. You have to calculate the velocity of each observer with respect to all other observers.
From the information given above, fill the table given below. (‘Do they escape’ means did the
bullet miss the outlaws for that observer) (10 points)

10. In the photoelectric effect, you got familiar with threshold frequency, stopping potential, and how
they are inter-related. The wavelength(λ) corresponding to the threshold frequency of potassium
is 558 nm. What is the work function for potassium? What is the maximum kinetic energy of e−
when light of 400 nm is incident on potassium? If the intensity of light is 10−2 W/m2 , how many
photons are incident per second per square meter? (4 points)