Question 1

Three spaceships A,B,and C are in motion,as shown in the figure.The commander on ship B observes ship C approaching with a relative velocity of 0.78c.The commander also observes ship A,advancing in the rear,with a relative velocity of 0.31c.What is the velocity of ship C,relative to an observer on ship A?

Accepted Answer

A)  0.88c 
B)  0.38c 
C)  1.4c 
D)  0.62c 
E)  1.1c

Question 2

You are a passenger on a spaceship.As the speed of the spaceship increases,you would observe that

Accepted Answer

A)  the length of your spaceship is getting shorter. 
B)  the length of your spaceship is getting longer. 
C)  the length of your spaceship is not changing.

Question 3

As measured in Earth's rest frame,a spaceship traveling at 0.964c takes 11.2 y to travel between planets.How long does the trip take as measured by someone on the spaceship?

Accepted Answer

A)  2.98 y 
B)  7.28 y 
C)  42.1 y 
D)  30.7 y

Question 4

A set of twins,Andrea and Courtney,are initially 10 years old. While Courtney remains on Earth,Andrea rides on a spaceship which travels away from Earth at a speed of 0.60c for five years (as measured by Courtney),then immediately turns around and comes back at 0.60c. When Andrea returns,Courtney is 20 years old. How old is Andrea upon her return?

Accepted Answer

A)  10 y 
B)  12 y 
C)  15 y 
D)  18 y 
E)  20 y

Question 5

A rocket is moving at 1/4 the speed of light relative to Earth.At the center of this rocket,a light suddenly flashes.To an observer at rest in the rocket

Accepted Answer

A)  the light will reach the front of the rocket at the same instant that it reaches the back of the rocket. 
B)  the light will reach the front of the rocket before it reaches the back of the rocket. 
C)  the light will reach the front of the rocket after it reaches the back of the rocket.

Question 6

An electron has a speed of 0.643c.Through what potential difference would the electron need to be accelerated (starting from rest)in order to reach this speed? (c = 3.00 × 108 m/s,e = 1.60 × 10-19 C,
Mel = 9.11 × 10-31 kg)

Accepted Answer

A)  160 kV 
B)  130 kV 
C)  180 kV 
D)  200 kV

Question 7

An electron is accelerated from rest through a potential difference of 50.0 kV.What is the TOTAL energy of the electron? (c = 3.00 × 108 m/s,e = 1.60 × 10-19 C,mel = 9.11 × 10-31 kg)

Accepted Answer

A)  8.00 × 10-15 J 
B)  16.2 × 10-15 J 
C)  8.20 × 10-14 J 
D)  9.00 × 10-14 J 
E)  16.2 × 10-14 J

Question 8

The special theory of relativity predicts that there is an upper limit to the speed of a particle.It therefore follows that there is also an upper limit on the following properties of a particle.

Accepted Answer

A)  the kinetic energy 
B)  the total energy 
C)  the linear momentum 
D)  more than one of these 
E)  none of these

Question 9

A spaceship is moving between two distant stars at 0.932c.To someone in the ship,the distance between the two stars appears to be 26.9 light-years (ly).What is the distance between the stars in the rest frame of the stars?

Accepted Answer

A)  74.2 ly 
B)  9.75 ly 
C)  21.5 ly 
D)  56.5 ly

Exam 14: Special Relativity

You are a passenger on a spaceship.As the speed of the spaceship increases,you would observe that

As measured in Earth's rest frame,a spaceship traveling at 0.964c takes 11.2 y to travel between planets.How long does the trip take as measured by someone on the spaceship?

A rocket is moving at 1/4 the speed of light relative to Earth.At the center of this rocket,a light suddenly flashes.To an observer at rest in the rocket

An electron has a speed of 0.643c.Through what potential difference would the electron need to be accelerated (starting from rest) in order to reach this speed? (c = 3.00 × 10⁸ m/s,e = 1.60 × 10^-19 C, M_el = 9.11 × 10^-31 kg)

An electron is accelerated from rest through a potential difference of 50.0 kV.What is the TOTAL energy of the electron? (c = 3.00 × 10⁸ m/s,e = 1.60 × 10^-19 C,m_el = 9.11 × 10^-31 kg)

The special theory of relativity predicts that there is an upper limit to the speed of a particle.It therefore follows that there is also an upper limit on the following properties of a particle.

A spaceship is moving between two distant stars at 0.932c.To someone in the ship,the distance between the two stars appears to be 26.9 light-years (ly) .What is the distance between the stars in the rest frame of the stars?

Exam 14: Special Relativity

You are a passenger on a spaceship.As the speed of the spaceship increases,you would observe that

As measured in Earth's rest frame,a spaceship traveling at 0.964c takes 11.2 y to travel between planets.How long does the trip take as measured by someone on the spaceship?

A rocket is moving at 1/4 the speed of light relative to Earth.At the center of this rocket,a light suddenly flashes.To an observer at rest in the rocket

An electron has a speed of 0.643c.Through what potential difference would the electron need to be accelerated (starting from rest) in order to reach this speed? (c = 3.00 × 108 m/s,e = 1.60 × 10-19 C, Mel = 9.11 × 10-31 kg)

An electron is accelerated from rest through a potential difference of 50.0 kV.What is the TOTAL energy of the electron? (c = 3.00 × 108 m/s,e = 1.60 × 10-19 C,mel = 9.11 × 10-31 kg)

The special theory of relativity predicts that there is an upper limit to the speed of a particle.It therefore follows that there is also an upper limit on the following properties of a particle.

A spaceship is moving between two distant stars at 0.932c.To someone in the ship,the distance between the two stars appears to be 26.9 light-years (ly) .What is the distance between the stars in the rest frame of the stars?

An electron has a speed of 0.643c.Through what potential difference would the electron need to be accelerated (starting from rest) in order to reach this speed? (c = 3.00 × 10⁸ m/s,e = 1.60 × 10^-19 C, M_el = 9.11 × 10^-31 kg)

An electron is accelerated from rest through a potential difference of 50.0 kV.What is the TOTAL energy of the electron? (c = 3.00 × 10⁸ m/s,e = 1.60 × 10^-19 C,m_el = 9.11 × 10^-31 kg)