7/12/23, 6:14 PM Assignment 6

Assignment 6
Due: 12:00pm on Friday, June 16, 2023
You will receive no credit for items you complete after the assignment is due. Grading Policy

Process of Science: Constancy of the Speed of Light

Learning Goal:
To understand why the constancy of the speed of light implies that faster-than-light travel is not possible.

Introduction. A fundamental premise of Einstein's theories of relativity is that the speed of light through empty space is a constant, c = 300, 000 km/s. This
tutorial will help you to understand the consequences of this premise. You'll need to refer to the four figures to the left as you answer the questions; each figure
shows you on Earth, observing Jackie as she goes by in her spaceship.

Part A
Examine the first figure, in which you see Jackie's spaceship
traveling at 1000 km/hr as she throws the baseball at a speed
of 100 km/hr . How fast would you say the baseball is going?

Hint 1. Computing the speed of the baseball

Because the speeds in this case are much slower than the speed of light, you can add the speeds as you would without relativity. For example, to
find a ball's speed when someone throws it from a moving train, you add the speeds of the ball and the train if they are both going in the same
direction, or subtract the ball's speed from the train's speed if they are going in opposite directions.

ANSWER:

1100 km/hr

100 km/hr

900 km/hr

100,000 km/hr

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Correct
Before Jackie throws the ball, you will see it moving with her at a speed of 1000 km/hr . Therefore, because she throws it in the same direction
that you see her moving, you will see the ball moving at 1000 km/hr + 100 km/hr = 1100 km/hr.

Part B
Examine the second figure, in which you see Jackie's spaceship
traveling at 1000 km/hr , with the ship's headlight on. According
to special relativity, Jackie would say that a beam of light from the
headlight is traveling at __________, and you would say that the
beam of light is traveling at __________.

Check two responses below, one for each of the two blanks
in the question.

Hint 1. What does it mean to say that the speed of light is constant?

When we say that the speed of light is a constant, what do we mean?

ANSWER:

You will always measure the same speed for light through space—about 300,000 km/s—no matter how you or the light source are
moving.

The speed of light is constant from stationary light sources, but it must be added to the speed of a moving light source.

Different wavelengths of light move at different speeds but keep this same speed for as long as they travel.

Correct
This fact is one of the key premises of relativity, and it has been experimentally verified many times.

ANSWER:

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(Blank 1) c − 1000 km/hr

(Blank 1) c

(Blank 1) c + 1000 km/hr

(Blank 2) c − 1000 km/h r

(Blank 2) c

(Blank 2) c + 1000 km/hr

Correct
A fundamental premise of relativity is that everyone always measures the same speed of light, c, no matter how the observer or the light source
may be moving. Note that this makes light different from material objects such as baseballs (see Part A).

Part C
Examine the third figure, in which you see Jackie's spaceship
traveling at 0.99c . This time, Jackie would say that a beam of
light from the headlight is traveling at __________ and you would
say that the beam of light is traveling at __________.

Check two responses below, one for each of the two blanks
in the question.

Hint 1. What does it mean to say that the speed of light is constant?

When we say that the speed of light is a constant, what do we mean?

ANSWER:

You will always measure the same speed for light through space—about 300,000 km/s—no matter how you or the light source are
moving.

Different wavelengths of light move at different speeds but keep this same speed for as long as they travel.

The speed of light is constant from stationary light sources, but it must be added to the speed of a moving light source.

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Correct
This fact is one of the key premises of relativity, and it has been experimentally verified many times.

ANSWER:

(Blank 1) 0.01c

(Blank 1) c

(Blank 1) 1.99c

(Blank 2) 0.01c

(Blank 2) c

(Blank 2) 1.99c

Correct
Even though Jackie is now traveling by you at 99% of the speed of light, both of you will still find that the light beam is traveling at the speed of
light, c. This is a consequence of the fact that everyone always measures the same speed of light through space.

Part D
Examine the fourth figure, which shows Jackie with her
spaceship engines on, so that she accelerates continuously. As
she accelerates, Jackie would say that __________ and you
would say that __________.

Check two responses below, one for each of the two blanks
in the question.

Hint 1. What happens to the speed of a spaceship that accelerates continuously?

Suppose you are watching a spaceship that is accelerating because its engines are constantly firing. According to relativity, the spaceship's speed
will __________.
ANSWER:

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always increase at the same rate

stay constant

always increase, but the rate of increase will get smaller as it approaches the speed of light

Correct
The spaceship can therefore accelerate continuously but never reach the speed of light. This happens because, according to relativity, the
ship's mass increases as it approaches the speed of light. With a constant force, the acceleration must decrease as mass increases
(because f orce = mass × acceleration). The ship's speed will continue to increase as long as the engines keep firing, but by ever-
smaller amounts.

ANSWER:

(Blank 1) the headlight beam is always racing away from her at c

(Blank 1) her speed gradually catches up to the speed of the headlight beam

(Blank 1) she is going so fast that she can't see the headlight beam

(Blank 2) the headlight beam is always traveling 300,000 km/s faster than Jackie is traveling

(Blank 2) her speed gets faster and faster until she exceeds the speed of light, at which point she disappears from view

(Blank 2) her speed gets faster and faster but never quite as fast as the speed of the headlight beam

Correct
Jackie always says the beam is racing away from her at c , because everyone always measures the same speed of light. You see Jackie going
faster and faster as she accelerates, but because you must also agree that she is going slower than her headlight beam—and that the headlight
beam is traveling at c—you can never see her reach the speed of light.

Part E
Based on these thought experiments, what can you conclude?

ANSWER:

Jackie would have to accelerate for a very long time before she finally reaches the speed of light.

Jackie will say that she is going faster than light, but you'll always say she's going slower than the speed of light.

Jackie can never reach or exceed the speed of light.

You can see Jackie going faster than light, but she'll never say she's going that fast.

Correct
The key point is this: Because everyone measures the same speed of light, no one can ever catch up with one's own light. Therefore, anyone
else observing the traveler will see that traveler going slower than the traveler's light, which means slower than c .

Part F
In science, it is now well accepted that the speed of light is always the same and therefore nothing can travel faster than light. These ideas gained
acceptance primarily because __________.
ANSWER:

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Einstein was such an important figure in the scientific community

no one has yet built a spaceship that can reach the speed of light

they have been verified through actual observations and experiments

the logic in the thought experiments is so strong

Correct
In science, an idea is accepted only if it has been verified by observations or experiments. Observations and experiments have confirmed that the
speed of light through space is always the same, and experiments in particle accelerators have shown that no matter how much subatomic
particles are accelerated, they never quite reach the speed of light.

Problem S2.51

Part A
Marta has a spaceship that measures 40 meters from end to end when at rest. If she flies past you at 0.65 c, how long will you measure it to be?
Express your answer to two significant figures and include the appropriate units.

ANSWER:

′
L = 30 m

Correct

Part B
The star Sirius is 8.6 light-years from Earth (in our Earth-based reference frame). Suppose you traveled from Earth to Sirius at 0.83 c. During your trip, how
far would you measure the distance from Earth to Sirius to be?
Express your answer in light-years to two significant figures.

ANSWER:

′
d = 4.8 ly

Correct

Prelecture Overview: Space and Time

First, launch the video below. Then, close the video window and answer the questions that follow. You can watch the video again at any point.

Part A
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Why is the word "special" included in the name "special theory of relativity"?

ANSWER:

The theory applies only to the special case in which we ignore effects of gravity.

Einstein considered it special because it was his first major publication.

"Special" is a historical misspelling that was meant to be "spatial."

The word "special" was added long after Einstein published the theory to honor the fact that it's a really important theory.

Correct
This fact is stated clearly both in the video and your textbook.

Part B
For the airplane flight shown in the video, the airplane appears to stay stationary as viewed from the Moon because it flies ___________.
ANSWER:

slowe than Earth rotates

vertically

at the same speed as Earth rotates but in the opposite direction

at the same speed and in the same direction as Earth rotates

faster than Earth rotates

Correct
This is shown clearly in the video and in the corresponding figure in your textbook.

Part C
According to the special theory of relativity, which of the following are absolutes in the universe?
Select all that apply.
ANSWER:

Everyone must agree when two events are simultaneous.

The wavelength and frequency of light is the same for everyone.

The laws of nature are the same for everyone.

The acceleration of gravity is everywhere the same.

The speed of light is the same for everyone.

Speeds of all moving objects are the same for everyone.

Correct
As discussed in the video and your textbook, all of the special theory of relativity follows from these two absolutes.

Part D
Suppose an object is moving by you at high speed. Which of the following statements are true?

Select all that apply.

ANSWER:

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If you could measure the object's mass, you would find it to be smaller than its rest mass.

You would measure the moving object to be contracted in length, width, and depth compared to its size at rest.

You will obseve time on the moving object to be running more slowly than your time.

You will obseve time on the moving object to be running more rapidly than your time.

You would measure the moving object to be shorter in the direction of motion than it would be if you measured it at rest.

If you could measure the object's mass, you would find it to be larger than its rest mass.

If two events occur simultaneously in the reference frame of the moving object, you might observe one event to occur before the other.

Correct
These effects are often called time dilation, length contraction, mass increase, and the relativity of simultaneity.

Part E
Suppose that a subatomic particle that normally decays in 18 nanoseconds is produced in a particle accelerator while traveling at a speed very close to the
speed of light. The particle will then decay after ________.
ANSWER:

more than 18 nanoseconds

exactly 18 nanoseconds

less than 18 nanoseconds

Correct
As discussed in the Pause and Predict question in the video, this is a consequence of time dilation.

Part F

The famous equation E = mc 2 is __________.

ANSWER:

unrelated to the special theory of relativity

used to describe the time it takes light to travel from the Sun to Earth

part of the special theory of relativity

used to calculate time dilation

Correct
As discussed in the video and your textbook, this is why the fact that the Sun shines (by converting mass to energy in accord with E = mc 2 ) is in
essence evidence in support of the special theory of relativity.

Problem S2.50

A clever student, after learning about the theory of relativity, decides to apply his knowledge in order to prolong his life. He decides to spend the rest of his life in
a car, traveling around the freeways at 55 miles per hour (89 km/hr ).

Part A

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Suppose he drives for a period of time during which 70 years pass in his house. How much time will pass in the car? (Hint: If you are unable to find a
difference, be sure to explain why.)
Express your answer is seconds to two significant figures.

ANSWER:

t
′
= 70 yr - 7.5×10−6 s

Correct

Part B
An even more clever student decides to prolong her life by cruising around the local solar neighborhood at a speed of 0.95 c (95% of the speed of light).
How much time will pass on her spacecraft during a period in which 70 years pass on Earth?
Express your answer in years to three significant figures.
ANSWER:

′
t = 21.9 yr

Correct

Part C
Will she feel as if her life span has been extended?
ANSWER:

yes

no

Correct

Part D
Explain.

ANSWER:

3703 Character(s) remaining

Since it is relative, the time has actually passed. It is only her

that perceives it differently.

Graded, see 'Previous Answers' for details

Part E
Suppose you stay home on Earth while your twin sister takes a trip to a distant star and back in a spaceship that travels at 99% of the speed of light. If both
of you are 25 years old when she leaves and you are 45 years old when she returns, how old is your sister when she gets back?
ANSWER:

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26 years

28 years

24 years

30 years

Correct

Problem S2.54

Part A

The International Space Station orbits Earth at a speed of about 30,000 km/hr . While 3 hours passes on Earth, how much less time passes on the
Station? Assume that both the Station and Earth are in free-float frames, although in reality they are not. (Hint: Start by converting the Station's speed to
km/s.)

Express your answer to three significant figures and include the appropriate units.
ANSWER:

′
t−t = 4.17 μs

Answer Requested

Problem S2.52

Part A
A spaceship has a rest mass of 540,000 tons. If you could measure its mass when it was traveling at half the speed of light, what would the value be?

Express your answer in tons to three significant figures.

ANSWER:

M
′
= 6.24×105 tons

Correct

Part B
A fly has a mass of 1 gram at rest. How fast would it have to be traveling to have a mass of 3000 kilograms (about that of a large SUV)?

ANSWER:

at three fourths of the speed of light

at half the speed of light

very close to the speed of light

at one quarter of the speed of light

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Correct

Problem S2.55

For the game of interstellar baseball, teams have used robotic enhancements to allow superhuman feats. Consider a pitcher who can throw a baseball at 65%
of the speed of light and is practicing in a spaceship traveling away from Earth at 95% of the speed of light (on the way to the team's next game).

Part A
Assuming that he throws the baseball in the same direction the spacecraft is traveling, how fast will those of us on Earth measure the baseball to be going?
Express your answer in units of the speed of light to four significant figures.

ANSWER:

′
v = 0.9892 c

Correct

Time Dilation and Length Contraction with Three Observers

Learning Goal:
To understand how relative motion affects time and length in situations involving three observers, each in a different reference frame.

Part A
Each item below shows three spaceships that are all moving relative to one another; the speeds are shown as they appear in Jackie’s reference frame.
Rank the items according to how much time you would say passes (on your own ship) while Bob’s clock ticks off one second, from the shortest to the
longest amount of time. To rank items as equivalent, overlap them.

Hint 1. The relative speeds of you, Bob, and Jackie

If you study the items carefully, you should find that:
• In the item for which Bob’s speed is labeled 0.7c : Bob is moving to Jackie’s left at 0.7c , and you are moving to Jackie’s left at 0.8c . Therefore,
according to Jackie, Bob is moving to your right at 0.1c .
• In the item for which Bob’s speed is labeled 0.8c : Bob is moving to Jackie’s left at 0.8c , and you are moving to Jackie’s left at 0.85c . Therefore,
according to Jackie, Bob is moving to your right at 0.05c .
• In the item for which Bob’s speed is labeled 0.85c : Bob is moving to Jackie’s left at 0.8c , and you are moving to Jackie’s left at 0.8c . Therefore,
according to Jackie, Bob is moving to your left at 0.05c .

Hint 2. How does direction of motion affect time?

Consider the following scenario: Spaceship X is moving toward you at half the speed of light. Spaceship Y is moving away from you at half the
speed of light. How will the passage of time on the two spaceships compare, as observed by you?
ANSWER:

Time runs slower on Spaceship X than on Spaceship Y.

Time runs slower on Spaceship Y than on Spaceship X.

Time passes at the same rate on both spaceships.

ANSWER:

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Reset Help

Shortest time Longest time

Correct
The faster an object is moving relative to you, the slower its time will run relative to yours. Slower time means its clock takes longer to tick off
each second, so the rankings go in order of increasing speed for Bob relative to you.

Part B
Each item below shows three spaceships that are all moving relative to one another; the speeds are shown as they appear in Jackie’s reference frame.
Rank the items according to the length that you (in the spaceship labeled "YOU") would measure for Bob’s spaceship, from shortest to longest. To rank
items as equivalent, overlap them.

Hint 1. The relative speeds of you, Bob, and Jackie

If you study the items carefully, you should find that:

• In the item for which Bob’s speed is labeled 0.7c : Bob is moving to Jackie’s left at 0.7c , and you are moving to Jackie’s left at 0.8c . Therefore,
according to Jackie, Bob is moving to your right at 0.1c .
• In the item for which Bob’s speed is labeled 0.8c : Bob is moving to Jackie’s left at 0.8c , and you are moving to Jackie’s left at 0.85c . Therefore,
according to Jackie, Bob is moving to your right at 0.05c .
• In the item for which Bob’s speed is labeled 0.85c : Bob is moving to Jackie’s left at 0.8c , and you are moving to Jackie’s left at 0.8c . Therefore,
according to Jackie, Bob is moving to your left at 0.05c .

Hint 2. How does direction of motion affect length?

Consider the following scenario: Two spaceships both have the same length at rest. Spaceship X is moving toward you at half the speed of light.
Spaceship Y is moving away from you at half the speed of light. How will their lengths compare, as measured by you?
ANSWER:

Both spaceships are the same length.

Spaceship X is shorter than Spaceship Y.

Spaceship Y is shorter than Spaceship X.

ANSWER:

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Reset Help

Shortest length Longest length

Correct
The faster an object is moving relative to you, the shorter (in its direction of motion) you will measure it to be, so the ranking goes in order of
decreasing speed for Bob as measured by you. Two of the items show Bob with the same speed relative to you (although in opposite directions),
which is why the lengths are equal in those two cases.

Part C
To summarize the reason for the answer to Part A, the rate at which time passes on any object moving relative to you depends __________.
ANSWER:

on both the object's speed and the direction of the object's motion toward you or away from you

only on the direction of the object's motion toward you or away from you

only on the object's speed toward or away from you

Correct
You will always observe time passing more slowly on an object moving relative to you, no matter what direction it travels.

Part D
Are there any circumstances under which you would measure a moving object's length to be longer than its rest length?

ANSWER:

Yes, when the object is moving away from you.

Yes, when the object is moving slower than you.

No, you will always measure a moving object's length to be shorter than its rest length.

Correct
Motion is relative, so a moving object always has some component of its motion toward or away from you. This component of its motion
determines both the amount by which its length will be shortened from its rest length, and how much more slowly time will pass on the object
relative to your time.

Score Summary:
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Your score on this assignment is 87.8%.
You received 8.6 out of a possible total of 13 points, plus 2.82 points of extra credit.

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