Question 1

There is an upper limit on the speed of a particle.This means there is also an upper limit on its

Accepted Answer

A) momentum. 
B) kinetic energy. 
C) both of these 
D) neither of these 
A) momentum. 
B) kinetic energy. 
C) both of these 
D) neither of these

Question 2

An astronaut traveling forward at 0.87c holds a meterstick in spear-like fashion.The astronaut sees the spear's length as

Accepted Answer

A) 0)5 m. 
B) 0)87 m. 
C) 1 m. 
D) 1)25 m. 
E) 1)5 m. 
A) 0)5 m. 
B) 0)87 m. 
C) 1 m. 
D) 1)25 m. 
E) 1)5 m.

Question 3

Event A occurs before event B in a certain frame of reference.In another frame of reference,event A could occur

Accepted Answer

A) after event B. 
B) simultaneous with event B. 
C) either of these 
D) neither of these 
A) after event B. 
B) simultaneous with event B. 
C) either of these 
D) neither of these

Question 4

Suppose you and your sister travel in space in such a way that you notice a slowing of time for your sister.Your sister will notice that your time runs

Accepted Answer

A) faster than hers. 
B) slower than hers. 
C) the same as hers. 
D) not enough information given 
A) faster than hers. 
B) slower than hers. 
C) the same as hers. 
D) not enough information given

Question 5

Compared to standard Earth time,there is a physical slowing of your time when you travel at

Accepted Answer

A) relativistic speeds. 
B) everyday low speeds. 
C) both of these 
D) none of these 
A) relativistic speeds. 
B) everyday low speeds. 
C) both of these 
D) none of these

Question 6

Suppose the time taken for light to bounce to and fro between the parallel mirrors of a light clock is 1 second,in the frame of reference of the light clock.As seen by another observer moving at high speed at right angles to the to-and-fro motion of the bouncing light,the time taken would be

Accepted Answer

A) also 1 second. 
B) less than 1 second. 
C) more than 1 second. 
A) also 1 second. 
B) less than 1 second. 
C) more than 1 second.

Question 7

A woman standing on the ground sees a rocket ship move past her at 95% of the speed of light.Compared to when the rocket is at rest,the woman measures the rocket's length as

Accepted Answer

A) longer. 
B) shorter. 
C) the same length. 
A) longer. 
B) shorter. 
C) the same length.

Question 8

Suppose you look at the huge clock on the Big Ben Tower in London and it reads 12 noon.If you could travel away from the clock at the speed of light and view it with a telescope,it would

Accepted Answer

A) run slower than usual. 
B) run faster than usual. 
C) be frozen at 12 noon. 
A) run slower than usual. 
B) run faster than usual. 
C) be frozen at 12 noon.

Question 9

Suppose two spaceships approach each other at the speed of light,and each sends a beam of light to warn the other of its approach.From the frame of reference of either spaceship,the light will reach the other ship

Accepted Answer

A) before they collide. 
B) as they collide. 
C) after they collide. 
A) before they collide. 
B) as they collide. 
C) after they collide.

Question 10

When an object is pushed to relativistic speeds,its momentum is

Accepted Answer

A) greater than mv. 
B) smaller than mv. 
C) equal to mv. 
A) greater than mv. 
B) smaller than mv. 
C) equal to mv.

Question 11

You and a friend share the same spacetime when there is no

Accepted Answer

A) relative velocity between you. 
B) acceleration for either of you. 
C) difference in your rate of heartbeats. 
A) relative velocity between you. 
B) acceleration for either of you. 
C) difference in your rate of heartbeats.

Question 12

A heavy meterstick has a mass of 1 kg.When the meterstick is thrown like a spear past you,you measure its momentum to be 2mv.What do you measure its length to be?

Accepted Answer

A) 1 m 
B) 0)87 m 
C) 0)5 m 
D) 0)25 m 
E) none of these 
A) 1 m 
B) 0)87 m 
C) 0)5 m 
D) 0)25 m 
E) none of these

Question 13

If you use the relativistic velocity-addition formula to add everyday velocities,you will get

Accepted Answer

A) nonsense. 
B) a significantly better result than if you add them classically. 
C) a result almost identical to the classical result. 
A) nonsense. 
B) a significantly better result than if you add them classically. 
C) a result almost identical to the classical result.

Question 14

Consider a spaceship that moves away from you at half the speed of light.It fires a probe,also away from you,at half the speed of light relative to the spaceship.Relative to you,the probe moves at

Accepted Answer

A) 80% c. 
B) 87% c. 
C) 90% c. 
D) 95% c. 
E) 100% c. 
A) 80% c. 
B) 87% c. 
C) 90% c. 
D) 95% c. 
E) 100% c.

Question 15

Compared to clocks in a stationary reference frame,clocks in a moving reference frame run

Accepted Answer

A) slower. 
B) faster. 
C) at the same speed. 
A) slower. 
B) faster. 
C) at the same speed.

Question 16

A 10-meter-long spear is thrown at relativistic speeds through a 10-meter-long pipe.(Both these dimensions are measured when each is at rest. )When the spear passes through the pipe,which of the following statements is true?

Accepted Answer

A) The spear appears to shrink so the pipe completely covers it. 
B) The pipe appears to shrink so the spear extends from both ends. 
C) Both appear to shrink equally so the pipe barely covers the spear. 
D) any of these,depending on the motion of the observer (moving with the spear,at rest with the pipe,and so on). 
E) none of these 
A) The spear appears to shrink so the pipe completely covers it. 
B) The pipe appears to shrink so the spear extends from both ends. 
C) Both appear to shrink equally so the pipe barely covers the spear. 
D) any of these,depending on the motion of the observer (moving with the spear,at rest with the pipe,and so on). 
E) none of these

Question 17

We are actually looking into the past when we look at

Accepted Answer

A) a distant star. 
B) our physics book. 
C) actually both of these 
D) none of these 
A) a distant star. 
B) our physics book. 
C) actually both of these 
D) none of these

Question 18

A spaceship that is traveling very fast with respect to your frame of reference,fires a photon beam that travels at speed c with respect to the spaceship.You measure the photon beam's speed to be

Accepted Answer

A) less than c. 
B) more than c. 
C) equal to c. 
A) less than c. 
B) more than c. 
C) equal to c.

Question 19

The experiments of Michelson and Morley provided evidence that the speed of light is

Accepted Answer

A) invariant. 
B) the same whether its source approaches or recedes. 
C) constant. 
D) all of these 
E) none of these 
A) invariant. 
B) the same whether its source approaches or recedes. 
C) constant. 
D) all of these 
E) none of these

Question 20

As a light source blinking at a steady rate approaches you at an increasing speed (accelerating toward you),the frequency of the flashes

Accepted Answer

A) increases. 
B) decreases. 
C) remains the same. 
A) increases. 
B) decreases. 
C) remains the same.

Exam 35: Special Theory of Relativity

There is an upper limit on the speed of a particle.This means there is also an upper limit on its

An astronaut traveling forward at 0.87c holds a meterstick in spear-like fashion.The astronaut sees the spear's length as

Event A occurs before event B in a certain frame of reference.In another frame of reference,event A could occur

Suppose you and your sister travel in space in such a way that you notice a slowing of time for your sister.Your sister will notice that your time runs

Compared to standard Earth time,there is a physical slowing of your time when you travel at

Suppose the time taken for light to bounce to and fro between the parallel mirrors of a light clock is 1 second,in the frame of reference of the light clock.As seen by another observer moving at high speed at right angles to the to-and-fro motion of the bouncing light,the time taken would be

A woman standing on the ground sees a rocket ship move past her at 95% of the speed of light.Compared to when the rocket is at rest,the woman measures the rocket's length as

Suppose you look at the huge clock on the Big Ben Tower in London and it reads 12 noon.If you could travel away from the clock at the speed of light and view it with a telescope,it would

Suppose two spaceships approach each other at the speed of light,and each sends a beam of light to warn the other of its approach.From the frame of reference of either spaceship,the light will reach the other ship

When an object is pushed to relativistic speeds,its momentum is

You and a friend share the same spacetime when there is no

A heavy meterstick has a mass of 1 kg.When the meterstick is thrown like a spear past you,you measure its momentum to be 2mv.What do you measure its length to be?

If you use the relativistic velocity-addition formula to add everyday velocities,you will get

Consider a spaceship that moves away from you at half the speed of light.It fires a probe,also away from you,at half the speed of light relative to the spaceship.Relative to you,the probe moves at

Compared to clocks in a stationary reference frame,clocks in a moving reference frame run

A 10-meter-long spear is thrown at relativistic speeds through a 10-meter-long pipe.(Both these dimensions are measured when each is at rest. )When the spear passes through the pipe,which of the following statements is true?

We are actually looking into the past when we look at

A spaceship that is traveling very fast with respect to your frame of reference,fires a photon beam that travels at speed c with respect to the spaceship.You measure the photon beam's speed to be

The experiments of Michelson and Morley provided evidence that the speed of light is

As a light source blinking at a steady rate approaches you at an increasing speed (accelerating toward you),the frequency of the flashes

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