1. This question is about length contraction and simultaneity.

(a) Define proper length.

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(1)

(b) A spaceship is travelling to the right at speed 0.75 c, through a tunnel which is open at
both ends. Observer A is standing at the centre of one side of the tunnel. Observer A, for
whom the tunnel is at rest, measures the length of the tunnel to be 240 m and the length of
the spaceship to be 200 m. The diagram below shows this situation from the perspective
of observer A.

Observer B, for whom the spaceship is stationary, is standing at the centre of the
spaceship.

(i) Calculate the Lorentz factor, γ, for this situation.

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(ii) Calculate the length of the tunnel according to observer B.

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(iii) Calculate the length of the spaceship according to observer B.

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(1)

IB Questionbank Physics 1
 (iv) According to observer A, the spaceship is completely inside the tunnel for a short
time. State and explain whether or not, according to observer B, the spaceship is
ever completely inside the tunnel.

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(2)

(c) Two sources of light are located at each end of the tunnel. The diagram below shows this
situation from the perspective of observer A.

According to observer A, at the instant when observer B passes observer A, the two
sources of light emit a flash. Observer A sees the two flashes simultaneously. Discuss
whether or not observer B sees the two flashes simultaneously.

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(4)
(Total 10 marks)

IB Questionbank Physics 2
2. This question is about relativistic kinematics.

(a) Define inertial frame of reference.

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(b) Ann and Sue are twins. Sue remains on Earth. Ann travels to the star Sirius in a spaceship
moving at a speed of 0.80 c, as measured by Sue. The distance between Earth and Sirius
is 8.8 ly, as measured by Sue.

(i) Calculate the time elapsed, as measured by Sue, between Ann leaving Earth and
reaching Sirius.

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(1)

(ii) State and explain whether Ann or Sue measures the proper time between Ann
leaving Earth and arriving at Sirius.

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(2)

(iii) Calculate the time taken for the spaceship to reach Sirius, as measured by Ann.

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IB Questionbank Physics 3
 (iv) As Ann approaches Sirius, she sends a radio message back to Sue. The distance
between Sirius and Earth, as measured by Ann, is 5.28 ly. Determine the time, as
measured by Ann, that it takes for the signal to reach Sue.

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(Total 10 marks)

3. This question is about relativistic kinematics.

(a) State what is meant by an inertial frame of reference.

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(2)

IB Questionbank Physics 4
 (b) A spacecraft is moving with a speed of 0.80c with respect to observers on Earth. After 6.0
years of travel, according to the spacecraft clocks, the spacecraft arrives at a distant solar
system.

(i) Calculate the time the journey has taken according to an observer on Earth.

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(3)

(ii) Calculate the distance between the Earth and the solar system according to an
observer on Earth.

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(2)

(iii) The spacecraft observers send a signal to Earth to announce that they have arrived
at the solar system. The spacecraft continues to move. Determine how long it will
take the signal to arrive on Earth according to the spacecraft observers.

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(3)
(Total 10 marks)

4. This question is about simultaneity and length measurement.

(a) One of the two postulates of special relativity states that “the laws of physics are the same
for all inertial observers”. State the other postulate.

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(1)

IB Questionbank Physics 5
 (b) Tom and Barbara are two observers each in a separate reference frame. The reference
frames are moving relative to each other in the same straight line with constant velocity.
Two lamps L1 and L2 are operated by the same switch. Tom is at the mid-point between
the lamps as measured in his frame of reference.

The lamps and the switch are at rest relative to Tom.

Tom switches on the lamps and to him they light simultaneously. Explain, based on your
answer to (a), why the lamps will not light simultaneously, according to Barbara.

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(3)

(c) Tom measures the separation of L1 and L2 to be 1.5 m whereas Barbara measures the
separation to be 0.5 m.

(i) State and explain which observer measures the proper length between L 1 and L2.

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IB Questionbank Physics 6
 (ii) Calculate, in terms of the free space speed of light c, the relative speed between
Tom and Barbara.

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(iii) Sketch a graph to show how the relative speed v between Tom and Barbara varies
with the length L between L1 and L2 as measured by Barbara. The data point
(1.5,0) is shown. On the v axis, label the point v = c.

(3)
(Total 11 marks)

5. This question is about special relativity.

(a) State what is meant by an inertial frame of reference.

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IB Questionbank Physics 7
 (b) Aibhe is at rest in an inertial frame of reference A and Euan is at rest in an inertial frame
of reference B. B is moving in the x-direction, with speed v, relative to A. The table T is
at rest with respect to Aibhe.

Aibhe measures the length of T to be 1.5 m and Euan measures it to be 1.2 m.

(i) Explain which observer measures the proper length of T.

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(ii) Determine the speed v.

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IB Questionbank Physics 8
 (c) Two insects land at the same point on T. According to a clock at rest with respect to
Aibhe, one of the insects lands 2.4 seconds after the other. Calculate, according to Euan,
the time interval between the landings of each insect.

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(1)

(d) Two other insects land at either end of the table. These two events may occur at the same
time as measured by one of the observers (Aibhe or Euan) but not to the other. Outline,
with reference to the postulates of relativity, why these times differ.

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(Total 10 marks)

6. This question is about relativistic kinematics.

(a) State what is meant by proper length and proper time interval.

Proper length: ..............................................................................................................

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Proper time interval: ...................................................................................................

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IB Questionbank Physics 9
 (b) A spaceship moves with speed v = 0.600c relative to a space station. Two lasers, A and B,
on the space station are 5.00 m apart as measured by the space station observers. The
gamma factor for a speed of v = 0.600c is γ =1.25.

(i) A radio signal is sent to the spaceship from the space station. The transmission
lasts for 6.00 s according to space station clocks. Calculate the duration of the
transmission according to the spaceship observers.

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(ii) Calculate the distance between the lasers A and B according to the spaceship
observers.

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(c) The lasers in (b) are fired simultaneously according to the space station observers.
Light from each laser makes a mark on the spaceship. The spaceship observers measure
the distance between the two marks to be 6.25 m. According to the spaceship observers

(i) state which laser was fired first.

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IB Questionbank Physics 10
 (ii) determine the difference in time between the firings of the two lasers.

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(2)
(Total 9 marks)

7. This question is about a Galilean transformation and time dilation.

Ben is in a spaceship that is travelling in a straight-line with constant speed v as measured by

Jill who is in a space station.

Ben switches on a light pulse that bounces vertically (as observed by Ben) between two
horizontal mirrors M1 and M2 separated by a distance d. At the instant that the mirrors are
opposite Jill, the pulse is just leaving the mirror M2. The speed of light in air is c.

(a) On the diagram, sketch the path of the light pulse between M1 and M2 as observed by Jill.

(1)

IB Questionbank Physics 11
 (b) The time for the light pulse to travel from M2 to M1 as measured by Jill is Δt.

(i) State, according to Jill, the distance moved by the spaceship in time Δt.

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(1)

(ii) Using a Galilean transformation, derive an expression for the length of the path of
the light between M2 and M1.

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(c) State, according to special relativity, the length of the path of the light between M2 and
M1 as measured by Jill in terms of c and ∆t.

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(d) The time for the pulse to travel from M2 to M1 as measured by Ben is ∆t′. Use your
answers to (b)(i) and (c) to derive a relationship between ∆t and ∆t′.

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IB Questionbank Physics 12
 (e) According to a clock at rest with respect to Jill, a clock in the spaceship runs slow by a
factor of 2.3. Show that the speed v of the spaceship is 0.90c.

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(2)
(Total 10 marks)

8. This question is about simultaneity.

Albert is at rest with respect to the ground. Hermann is in a carriage that is moving with speed v
relative to Albert in the direction shown. Two flashes of light are emitted from the back and the
front of the carriage. According to Hermann’s clock they arrive at Hermann’s position
simultaneously.

Explain with reference to the concept of proper time, why the arrival of the light pulses at
Hermann will also be simultaneous to Albert.

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(Total 3 marks)

IB Questionbank Physics 13
9. This question is about relativistic kinematics.

A spacecraft leaves Earth at a speed of 0.80c as measured by an observer on Earth. It heads

towards, and continues beyond, a distant planet. The planet is 52 light years away from Earth as
measured by an observer on Earth.

When the spacecraft leaves Earth, Amanda, one of the astronauts in the spacecraft, is 20 years
old.

5
The Lorentz gamma factor for a speed of 0.80c is γ = .
3

(a) Calculate

(i) the time taken for the journey to the planet as measured by an observer on Earth.

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(ii) the distance between the Earth and the planet, as measured by Amanda.

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(iii) Amanda’s age as the spacecraft goes past the planet, according to Amanda.

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IB Questionbank Physics 14
 (b) As the spacecraft goes past the planet Amanda sends a radio signal to Earth.
Calculate, as measured by the spacecraft observers, the time it takes for the signal to
arrive at Earth.

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(3)
(Total 7 marks)

IB Questionbank Physics 15