Question 1

A proton with a rest energy of 938 MeV has a speed of 0.99c. What is its momentum in units of GeV/c?

Accepted Answer

A)  6.6 GeV/c 
B)  0.93 GeV/c 
C)  9.3 GeV/c 
D)  3.3 GeV/c 
E)  47 GeV/c 
A)  6.6 GeV/c 
B)  0.93 GeV/c 
C)  9.3 GeV/c 
D)  3.3 GeV/c 
E)  47 GeV/c

Question 2

Spaceship Solange passes spaceship Hari with a relative velocity of 0.6c. An astronaut aboard Hari observes the length of Solange to be 30.5 m. The astronauts aboard Solange claim that the length of their spaceship is

Accepted Answer

A)  18.3 m 
B)  24.4 m 
C)  30.5 m 
D)  38.1 m 
E)  39.6 m 
A)  18.3 m 
B)  24.4 m 
C)  30.5 m 
D)  38.1 m 
E)  39.6 m

Question 3

While astronauts in a spaceship with a speed of 0.6c relative to Earth move outward from Earth toward Jupiter, they observe a cosmic ray shower that contains particles moving toward them at 0.2c relative to Earth. One of the particles has a rest energy of 3.0 GeV and a momentum, as measured by the astronauts, of 4.0 GeV/c. Its kinetic energy is

Accepted Answer

A)  7.0 GeV 
B)  4.0 GeV 
C)  5.0 GeV 
D)  2.7 GeV 
E)  2.0 GeV 
A)  7.0 GeV 
B)  4.0 GeV 
C)  5.0 GeV 
D)  2.7 GeV 
E)  2.0 GeV

Question 4

When a particle of rest mass mo undergoes an increase in its velocity,

Accepted Answer

A)  only its mass increases. 
B)  only its kinetic energy increases. 
C)  its mass decreases. 
D)  its mass decreases and its kinetic energy increases. 
E)  both its mass and its kinetic energy increase. 
A)  only its mass increases. 
B)  only its kinetic energy increases. 
C)  its mass decreases. 
D)  its mass decreases and its kinetic energy increases. 
E)  both its mass and its kinetic energy increase.

Question 5

Our galaxy, the Milky Way, has a diameter of about 100 thousand light-years. How many years would it take a spacecraft to cross the galaxy if it could travel at 99% the speed of light?

Accepted Answer

A)  1.4 *103 yrs 
B)  1.0 * 105 yrs 
C)  1.4 *104 yrs 
D)  7.2 * 103 yrs 
E)  None of these is correct. 
A)  1.4 *103 yrs 
B)  1.0 * 105 yrs 
C)  1.4 *104 yrs 
D)  7.2 * 103 yrs 
E)  None of these is correct.

Question 6

A particle moves in such a way that its kinetic energy just equals its rest energy. The velocity of this particle is

Accepted Answer

A)  0.866c 
B)  c/4 
C)  c 
D)  0.707c 
E)  c/2 
A)  0.866c 
B)  c/4 
C)  c 
D)  0.707c 
E)  c/2

Question 7

A proton and an electron are accelerated until their total energy is twice their rest masses. If the rest mass of the proton is Mpc2 = 931 MeV and that of the electron is Mec2 = 0.51 MeV, the ratio of the velocity of the electron to that of the proton is

Accepted Answer

A)  0.5 
B)  1.0 
C)  1.5 
D)  2.0 
E)  not enough data are given 
A)  0.5 
B)  1.0 
C)  1.5 
D)  2.0 
E)  not enough data are given

Question 8

What did Michelson conclude from the results of his famous experiment?

Accepted Answer

A)  The ether does not exist. 
B)  The speed of light is the same in all reference frames. 
C)  The speed of light is constant relative to the ether. 
D)  Earth moves relative to the ether. 
E)  Earth does not move relative to the ether. 
A)  The ether does not exist. 
B)  The speed of light is the same in all reference frames. 
C)  The speed of light is constant relative to the ether. 
D)  Earth moves relative to the ether. 
E)  Earth does not move relative to the ether.

Question 9

You stand on a corner as a friend drives past in an automobile. You both note the time interval required for the car to travel one block, and you both measure the distance traveled. The proper time interval is measured by _____, and the proper distance is measured by _____.

Accepted Answer

A)  you; you 
B)  you; your friend 
C)  your friend; you 
D)  your friend; your friend 
E)  your friend; both of you 
A)  you; you 
B)  you; your friend 
C)  your friend; you 
D)  your friend; your friend 
E)  your friend; both of you

Question 10

A standard Canadian football field is 100 m long and 60 m wide. A UFO streaks from one end of the field to the other at a speed of 0.6c relative to the players on the field. An observer in the UFO measures the width of the field to be

Accepted Answer

A)  60 m 
B)  80 m 
C)  100 m 
D)  125 m 
E)  167 m 
A)  60 m 
B)  80 m 
C)  100 m 
D)  125 m 
E)  167 m

Question 11

If the ratio of the rest mass to the relativistic mass of an electron is 0.8, then the velocity of the electron must be

Accepted Answer

A)  0.2c 
B)  0.4c 
C)  0.6c 
D)  0.8c 
E)  c 
A)  0.2c 
B)  0.4c 
C)  0.6c 
D)  0.8c 
E)  c

Question 12

A beam of unstable neutral pions is observed to travel on average 8 m before they decay. If their proper lifetime is 0.8 * 10-8 s, then calculate how fast the beam is traveling.

Accepted Answer

A)  0.96c 
B)  0.92c 
C)  0.29c 
D)  0.98c 
E)  3.5c 
A)  0.96c 
B)  0.92c 
C)  0.29c 
D)  0.98c 
E)  3.5c

Question 13

Use the following scenario for the next question.
A 26-year-old biologist makes a trip to study alien life forms in a distant planet 10 light-years away. The round trip including a stay of 1 year in the distance planet takes 21.5 years according to the clock on earth. The biologist's son is 3-year-old when he left. Assume that the planet is not moving with respect to Earth, and the speed is the same for both outbound and inbound part of the journey.
-How fast is the spaceship traveling?

Accepted Answer

A)  0.375c 
B)  0.5c 
C)  0.67c 
D)  0.845c 
E)  0.976c 
A)  0.375c 
B)  0.5c 
C)  0.67c 
D)  0.845c 
E)  0.976c

Question 14

A spaceship travels at a speed of 0.95c to the nearest star, Alpha Centauri, 4.3
Light-years away. How long does the trip take from the point of view of the passengers on the ship?

Accepted Answer

A)  1.4 y 
B)  1.0 y 
C)  4.5 y 
D)  14 y 
E)  0.44 y 
A)  1.4 y 
B)  1.0 y 
C)  4.5 y 
D)  14 y 
E)  0.44 y

Question 15

In a nuclear reaction, (0.0036)(1.67 *10-31 kg) of mass is converted to the kinetic energy of a deuteron that is originally at rest. The kinetic energy of the deuteron is approximately

Accepted Answer

A)  0.34 keV 
B)  3.6 eV 
C)  3.9 eV 
D)  3.2 *1018 eV 
E)  4.2 * 108 eV 
A)  0.34 keV 
B)  3.6 eV 
C)  3.9 eV 
D)  3.2 *1018 eV 
E)  4.2 * 108 eV

Question 16

An electron with a kinetic energy of 2 MeV is produced in a betatron. Its momentum is approximately

Accepted Answer

A)  8.2 * 10-3 kg · m/s 
B)  1.31 * 10-27 kg · m/s 
C)  7.63 * 10-22 kg · m/s 
D)  1.31*10-21 kg · m/s 
E)  7.63*10-25 kg · m/s 
A)  8.2 * 10-3 kg · m/s 
B)  1.31 * 10-27 kg · m/s 
C)  7.63 * 10-22 kg · m/s 
D)  1.31*10-21 kg · m/s 
E)  7.63*10-25 kg · m/s

Question 17

The light emitted by an object traveling at high speed toward Earth would

Accepted Answer

A)  be shifted toward the blue end of the spectrum. 
B)  be shifted toward the red end of the spectrum. 
C)  undergo no spectral shifts. 
D)  arrive with diminished intensity. 
E)  None of these is correct. 
A)  be shifted toward the blue end of the spectrum. 
B)  be shifted toward the red end of the spectrum. 
C)  undergo no spectral shifts. 
D)  arrive with diminished intensity. 
E)  None of these is correct.

Question 18

Suppose the speed of light is determined experimentally to be 299,796 ± 4 km/s. If the total path length for your interferometer is exactly 11.0 m, how big an error in the time required for the light to travel through the apparatus corresponds to the uncertainty
(±4 km/s) in the speed of light?

Accepted Answer

A)  4.9 * 10-13 s 
B)  2.7 *10-3 s 
C)  3.7* 10-8 s 
D)  4.9* 10-10 s 
E)  9.2 * 10-12 s 
A)  4.9 * 10-13 s 
B)  2.7 *10-3 s 
C)  3.7* 10-8 s 
D)  4.9* 10-10 s 
E)  9.2 * 10-12 s

Question 19

Your space vehicle is traveling directly away from Earth with a speed c/2, where
C = 3 * 108 m/s is the velocity of light. A light signal is sent from Earth. The speed with which this light passes your vehicle, as measured by the crew, would be

Accepted Answer

A)  c/4 
B)  c/2 
C)  c 
D)  3c/4 
E)  c/(1 - 1/4)1/2  
A)  c/4 
B)  c/2 
C)  c 
D)  3c/4 
E)  c/(1 - 1/4)1/2

Question 20

A standard Canadian football field is 100 m long and 60 m wide. A UFO streaks from one end of the field to the other at a speed of 0.6c relative to the players on the field. The aliens in the UFO decide to watch the game on television as they head off toward Jupiter. The game begins at 1:30 p.m. and ends at 4:30 p.m. according to earthbound broadcasters. The elapsed time for the game according to the aliens is

Accepted Answer

A)  1.8 h 
B)  2.4 h 
C)  3.0 h 
D)  3.8 h 
E)  5.0 h 
A)  1.8 h 
B)  2.4 h 
C)  3.0 h 
D)  3.8 h 
E)  5.0 h

A proton with a rest energy of 938 MeV has a speed of 0.99c. What is its momentum in units of GeV/c?

Spaceship Solange passes spaceship Hari with a relative velocity of 0.6c. An astronaut aboard Hari observes the length of Solange to be 30.5 m. The astronauts aboard Solange claim that the length of their spaceship is

When a particle of rest mass m_o undergoes an increase in its velocity,

Our galaxy, the Milky Way, has a diameter of about 100 thousand light-years. How many years would it take a spacecraft to cross the galaxy if it could travel at 99% the speed of light?

A particle moves in such a way that its kinetic energy just equals its rest energy. The velocity of this particle is

A proton and an electron are accelerated until their total energy is twice their rest masses. If the rest mass of the proton is M_pc² = 931 MeV and that of the electron is M_ec² = 0.51 MeV, the ratio of the velocity of the electron to that of the proton is

What did Michelson conclude from the results of his famous experiment?

You stand on a corner as a friend drives past in an automobile. You both note the time interval required for the car to travel one block, and you both measure the distance traveled. The proper time interval is measured by _, and the proper distance is measured by _.

A standard Canadian football field is 100 m long and 60 m wide. A UFO streaks from one end of the field to the other at a speed of 0.6c relative to the players on the field. An observer in the UFO measures the width of the field to be

If the ratio of the rest mass to the relativistic mass of an electron is 0.8, then the velocity of the electron must be

A beam of unstable neutral pions is observed to travel on average 8 m before they decay. If their proper lifetime is 0.8 * 10^-8 s, then calculate how fast the beam is traveling.

A spaceship travels at a speed of 0.95c to the nearest star, Alpha Centauri, 4.3 Light-years away. How long does the trip take from the point of view of the passengers on the ship?

In a nuclear reaction, (0.0036)(1.67 *10^-31 kg) of mass is converted to the kinetic energy of a deuteron that is originally at rest. The kinetic energy of the deuteron is approximately

An electron with a kinetic energy of 2 MeV is produced in a betatron. Its momentum is approximately

The light emitted by an object traveling at high speed toward Earth would

Suppose the speed of light is determined experimentally to be 299,796 ± 4 km/s. If the total path length for your interferometer is exactly 11.0 m, how big an error in the time required for the light to travel through the apparatus corresponds to the uncertainty (±4 km/s) in the speed of light?

Your space vehicle is traveling directly away from Earth with a speed c/2, where C = 3 * 10⁸ m/s is the velocity of light. A light signal is sent from Earth. The speed with which this light passes your vehicle, as measured by the crew, would be

The Electric Field I: Discrete Charge Distributions

The Electric Field II: Continuous Charge Distributions

Electric Potential

Capacitance

Electric Current and Direct-Current Circuits

The Magnetic Field

Sources of the Magnetic Field

Magnetic Induction

Alternating-Current Circuits

Maxwells Equations and Electromagnetic Waves

Properties of Light

Optical Images

Interference and Diffraction

Wave Particle Duality and Quantum Physics

Applications of the Schrodinger Equation

Atoms

Molecules

Solids and the Theory of Conduction

Nuclear Physics

Elementary Particles and the Beginning of the Universe

Filters

Exam 19: Relativity

A proton with a rest energy of 938 MeV has a speed of 0.99c. What is its momentum in units of GeV/c?

Spaceship Solange passes spaceship Hari with a relative velocity of 0.6c. An astronaut aboard Hari observes the length of Solange to be 30.5 m. The astronauts aboard Solange claim that the length of their spaceship is

When a particle of rest mass mo undergoes an increase in its velocity,

Our galaxy, the Milky Way, has a diameter of about 100 thousand light-years. How many years would it take a spacecraft to cross the galaxy if it could travel at 99% the speed of light?

A particle moves in such a way that its kinetic energy just equals its rest energy. The velocity of this particle is

A proton and an electron are accelerated until their total energy is twice their rest masses. If the rest mass of the proton is Mpc2 = 931 MeV and that of the electron is Mec2 = 0.51 MeV, the ratio of the velocity of the electron to that of the proton is

What did Michelson conclude from the results of his famous experiment?

You stand on a corner as a friend drives past in an automobile. You both note the time interval required for the car to travel one block, and you both measure the distance traveled. The proper time interval is measured by _____, and the proper distance is measured by _____.

A standard Canadian football field is 100 m long and 60 m wide. A UFO streaks from one end of the field to the other at a speed of 0.6c relative to the players on the field. An observer in the UFO measures the width of the field to be

If the ratio of the rest mass to the relativistic mass of an electron is 0.8, then the velocity of the electron must be

A beam of unstable neutral pions is observed to travel on average 8 m before they decay. If their proper lifetime is 0.8 * 10-8 s, then calculate how fast the beam is traveling.

A spaceship travels at a speed of 0.95c to the nearest star, Alpha Centauri, 4.3 Light-years away. How long does the trip take from the point of view of the passengers on the ship?

In a nuclear reaction, (0.0036)(1.67 *10-31 kg) of mass is converted to the kinetic energy of a deuteron that is originally at rest. The kinetic energy of the deuteron is approximately

An electron with a kinetic energy of 2 MeV is produced in a betatron. Its momentum is approximately

The light emitted by an object traveling at high speed toward Earth would

Suppose the speed of light is determined experimentally to be 299,796 ± 4 km/s. If the total path length for your interferometer is exactly 11.0 m, how big an error in the time required for the light to travel through the apparatus corresponds to the uncertainty (±4 km/s) in the speed of light?

Your space vehicle is traveling directly away from Earth with a speed c/2, where C = 3 * 108 m/s is the velocity of light. A light signal is sent from Earth. The speed with which this light passes your vehicle, as measured by the crew, would be

The Electric Field I: Discrete Charge Distributions

The Electric Field II: Continuous Charge Distributions

Electric Potential

Capacitance

Electric Current and Direct-Current Circuits

The Magnetic Field

Sources of the Magnetic Field

Magnetic Induction

Alternating-Current Circuits

Maxwells Equations and Electromagnetic Waves

Properties of Light

Optical Images

Interference and Diffraction

Wave Particle Duality and Quantum Physics

Applications of the Schrodinger Equation

Atoms

Molecules

Solids and the Theory of Conduction

Nuclear Physics

Elementary Particles and the Beginning of the Universe

Filters

When a particle of rest mass m_o undergoes an increase in its velocity,

A proton and an electron are accelerated until their total energy is twice their rest masses. If the rest mass of the proton is M_pc² = 931 MeV and that of the electron is M_ec² = 0.51 MeV, the ratio of the velocity of the electron to that of the proton is

You stand on a corner as a friend drives past in an automobile. You both note the time interval required for the car to travel one block, and you both measure the distance traveled. The proper time interval is measured by _, and the proper distance is measured by _.

A beam of unstable neutral pions is observed to travel on average 8 m before they decay. If their proper lifetime is 0.8 * 10^-8 s, then calculate how fast the beam is traveling.

In a nuclear reaction, (0.0036)(1.67 *10^-31 kg) of mass is converted to the kinetic energy of a deuteron that is originally at rest. The kinetic energy of the deuteron is approximately

Your space vehicle is traveling directly away from Earth with a speed c/2, where C = 3 * 10⁸ m/s is the velocity of light. A light signal is sent from Earth. The speed with which this light passes your vehicle, as measured by the crew, would be