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Tut 6

This document contains 10 physics problems related to relativistic kinematics and particle decays. Problem 1 asks about events appearing simultaneous in different frames. Problem 2 deals with length contraction of passing spaceships. Problem 3 involves light signals between vehicles A and B moving at different speeds in frame O.

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31 views1 page

Tut 6

This document contains 10 physics problems related to relativistic kinematics and particle decays. Problem 1 asks about events appearing simultaneous in different frames. Problem 2 deals with length contraction of passing spaceships. Problem 3 involves light signals between vehicles A and B moving at different speeds in frame O.

Uploaded by

ved patil
Copyright
© © All Rights Reserved
We take content rights seriously. If you suspect this is your content, claim it here.
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Download as PDF, TXT or read online on Scribd
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PH110: Tutorial Sheet 6

1. Two events A and B occur in frame S with coordinates (xA = 150 m, tA = 0.3 µ s) and (xB = 210 m, tB = 0.4 µ s)
respectively. Could these events appear simultaneous to an observer in another frame? If yes, what is the velocity
of that frame, relative to S?

2. Two spaceships pass each other, travelling in opposite directions. The speed of ship B, measured by a passenger
in ship A is 0.96c. This passenger has measured the length of the ship A as 100 mt and determines that the
ship B is 30 mt long. What are the lengths of the two ships as measured by a passenger in ship B ? Ans: (28m,
107.14m)

3. An observer O is at the origin of an inertial frame. He notices a vehicle A to pass by him in +x direction with
constant speed. At this instant, the watch of the observer O and the watch of the driver of A show time equal
to zero. 50 µs after A passed by, O sees another vehicle B pass by him, also in +x direction and again with
constant speed. After sometime B catches A and sends a light signal to O, which O receives at 200 µs according
to his watch. The driver of B notices that, in his frame, the time between passing O and catching A is 90 µs
Assume that drivers A and B are at the origins of their respective frames. Find

(a) the speeds of B and A, in the frame of O.


(b) position of A in O’s frame when B passes O.
(c) the position of O in the frame of A, when B passes O.

Ans: ((81/17)c, (6/19)c, (90/19) km, -5 km)

4. Pioneer-11 spacecraft is moving away from earth at a speed of about 12,000 m/s. It communicates with earth
by emitting microwaves of frequency 52.353 × 109 Hz. What should be the tuned frequency of the antenna on
earth so that the signal from Pioneer-11 can be received? Ans: (52. 351 GHz).

5. The Hα line, emitted by hydrogen, is a bright red line with wave-length 656.1 × 10−9 m. The Hα lines measured
from diametrically opposite ends of sun’s equator differ in wave-lengths by 9 × 10−12 m. Assuming that this
difference occurs due to the rotation of the sun, find the period of rotation of the sun. The diameter of the sun
is 1.4 × 109 m. Ans: (25 days).

6. A particle has rest maass m0 has energy 4m0 c2 . What


√ is its√momentum, in units of m0 c What is the energy of
this particle, when its momenum is 2m0 c? Ans: ( 15m0 c, 5m0 c2 )

7. A particle has rest mass energy 100 MeV. Calculate its total energy if it moves with speed (a) 0.9c, (b) 0.99c
and (c) 0.999c.

8. A ρ-meson of rest-mass energy 760 MeV decays into two π-mesons, each of rest-mass energy 150 MeV. Find the
speed of one π-meson relative to the other. Ans: (0.997c).

9. Let m0 be the mass of electron and also of its anti-particle positron. Assume that a hypothetical particle X of
mass 4m0 is produced in the collision of an electron and positron. Consider the following two situations:

• The momentum of the electron is pẑ and that of positron is −pẑ. Find p.
• The electron is at rest and the positron has momentum qẑ. Find q and the speed with which X is produced.
√ √ √
Ans: ( 3m0 c, 48m0 c, ( 3/2)c)

10. A pion of rest mass energy 140 MeV (MeV is million electron-volts) decays into a muon of rest mass energy 100
MeV and a neutrino of rest mass energy zero. In the rest frame of pion, calculate the momentum of the muon
in units of MeV/c. Also calculate its speed. Ans: (24.29 MeV/c, 0.324c).

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