E N D - O F -TO P I C Q U E S T I O N S

Solutions for Option A – Relativity

1. frame of reference is at rest or moving at constant velocity OR reference frame within which
Newton’s first law is valid
2. a) The moving electron is subject to an attractive electrostatic force due to the proton stationary
with respect to the wire. The electrons moving in the wire give rise to a magnetic field.
Fleming’s left-hand rule will indicate the direction of this field.
b) The protons now appear to be moving so far as the moving electron is concerned. They
therefore give rise to a magnetic field so far as the moving electron is concerned. The electrons
in the wire also give rise to forces. The net effect of all forces will be the same whichever frame
of reference is used according to the first postulate of relativity.
3. reference frame of one electron moves with respect to the other by –0.002c
u = u’ – (–0.002c) and u = 0.004c
4. a) (i) the length of an object as measured by an observer at rest with respect to the object
(ii) the time interval between two events measured in the reference frame in which the two
events occur at the same place

​  1370 ​
b) (i) half-life = _
0.95c
4.8 × 10–6 s
(ii) γ = 3.2
T = 1.5 × 10–6 s
L
(iii) L = _
​  γ0 ​= 430 m

c) muons regard themselves as being at rest and “measure” the proper time for half of them to
decay in the laboratory, the muons will take a longer time to decay and this is the time that to
them, it takes the muons to travel between the counters the laboratory observers measure the
proper length since the counters are at rest in their reference frame to the muons it will seem
that counter 2 is travelling towards them and in the time that it takes half of them to decay
they will measure counter 2 as having travelled a contracted distance 430 m
5. a) (i) correct substitution into Lorentz factor equation v = 0.979c = 2.94 × 10 m s–1

​  distance
(ii) speed = _  ​1.26 ns
time
b) (i) 2.94 × 108 m s–1
(ii) length contraction applies here 7.5 cm
6. a) frame of reference is at rest or moving at constant velocity / reference frame within which
Newton’s first law is valid
b) (i) 
time: larger;
length: smaller;
mass: larger
(ii) volume decreases and mass increases
density = ​ _mass  ​;
volume
density increases

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7. ct

worldline of star

light cone
from S D
C
time axis of planet frame

S E

B me
fra
et
an
of pl
ax is
ce
spa

worldline
of planet

x
light cone star planet space axis of planet frame
from star
a) (i) intersection of planet worldline and spaceship world line (A)
(ii) continue spaceship x axis back from A (to B)
b) (i) The supernova is simultaneous with C and with D
Because they are on the same line parallel to the spaceship x axis
(ii) The supernova is simultaneous with E in the planet frame
Because S and E are on a line parallel to the x axis
c) The students see the supernova at the intersection of the nova lightcone and the
spaceship trajectory
This is at point F on the diagram

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8. ct

CtS BF

xF
AS
AF
simultaneous for referee

Sf
ne o
ldli
wor

xS
BS
fF
eo
lin
rld
wo

x
S finishing F finishing
line line

a) (i) F crosses the F finishing line at AF

at this instant S is at BS
F thinks he has won
(ii) S crosses the S finishing line at AS
At this instant F is at BF
S thinks F has won
(iii) in the referee frame AS and AF are simultaneous the referee thinks the result is a draw
b) The athletes both agree that F has won the referee disagrees with this but because he is in
a different frame there is no reason why simultaneity should apply in this situation
9. a) mass measured when object is stationary relative to observer
b) for large V, calculated value of v would be greater than c which is not possible mass increases,
so mass is not m0
(1.6 × 10–19 × 5.0 × 106)
c) c2Δm = eV or ∆m = ​ ___
        ​
(3.0 × 108)2
∆m = 8.9 × 10–30 kg
10. a) mc2 = m0c2 + Ve
γ m0c2 = m0c2 + Ve

​  Ve 2 ​
γ=1+_
m0c

b) γ = 1 + _​  500 ​ = 1.53

938
substitute into γ = _ 1
​  _____  ​to give v = 0.76 c
​  v2 ​ ​ √
2
​ 1–_
c

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11. E = 2.0 × 109 eV + 938 × 106 eV = 2.9(38) × 109 eV

p2c2 = (2938MeV)2 – (938MeV)2
2.8 × 103 MeVc−1
12. a) rest mass energy is rest mass × c2
total energy is rest mass energy + kinetic energy
assuming no potential energy
b) 938 MeV
c) γ m0c2 = m0 c2 + V e
V e = γ m0c2 – m0c2
V e = m0c2 (γ – 1)
V e = 938(4.0)
V = 3750 MV
13. a)
time

spacetime diagram constructed straight line for trajectory particles move in both space and time
and so the motion of the particle can be represented by a path in spacetime
b) mass warps space time any sensible straight line path all particles follow the shortest path in
spacetime if the Earth were not present the satellite would move in a straight line the warping
of spacetime forces the satellite to follow an orbital path
c) if an object is dense enough it will cause extreme warping of spacetime such that any light
leaving the surface will not be able to escape the spacetime surrounding the object

d) ​ ​  2GM
​ ​= _
Rsch 2 × 6.6 ×  
 ​ = ​ ___
    10–11 × ​2 × 1030 3000 m
c2
9 × 10 16

14. a) (i) straight line path

(ii) a path curving towards the base
(iii) light travels in a straight line in a gravity-free region of space for the accelerating observer,
the spaceship would be displaced in the direction of the acceleration in the time the light
takes to go across it in this frame of reference, this displacement is attributed to the beam
the observer in the accelerating frame of reference would attribute this to the light beam
“bending ‘downwards
b) for the observer in the spaceship the constant acceleration (in a gravity-free region of space) is
indistinguishable from an inertial frame of reference in a uniform gravitational field – which is
the equivalence principle
15. a) a frame of reference accelerating far from all masses with acceleration a is completely
equivalent to a frame of reference at rest in a gravitational field of field strength equal to a
b) (i) B the scale reads the weight of the mass
(ii) C the scale reads a force F where F = m g + m a
(iii) A there is no acceleration and no gravitational force on the mass
c) B the equivalence principle states that the accelerating frame is equivalent to a frame at rest on
Earth’s surface

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16. a) (i) centre is single point to which all mass would collapse surface is where the escape speed is
equal to c within the surface, mass is lost from the universe
(ii) distance from point of singularity to the event horizon
(2 × 6.7 × 10–11 × 2 × 1031)
​  2GM
(iii) Rsch = _  ​ = ​ ___
        ​ 3.0 × 104 m
c 2
(3 × 108)2
b) theory suggests that light is affected by gravitational fields two images are formed by
gravitational lensing in which two light rays are bent each side of the Sun by warping of
spacetime
17. a) an observer cannot tell the difference between the effect of acceleration (in one direction) and
a gravitational field (in the opposite direction)
b) light would be expected to be bent in an accelerating frame application of principle of
equivalence to show that light must also be bent in a gravitational field gravitational lensing
is the bending of light around a massive astronomical object to produce multiple images or
magnified images of a region of space that is further away
18. a) in order that the star could be seen
b) in order that the degree / amount of bending of the light by the Sun can be measured
c) A

sun

orbit path of
earth earth about sun

d) the theory predicts that spacetime is warped by the presence of matter the light ray takes the
shortest path between the star and Earth in the warped spacetime
e) see diagram for correct position
19. a) (i) region of extreme curvature in space-time such that escape speed is c (or greater)
(ii) radius of boundary inside which mass must fit for black hole to be possible
(iii) 5.9 × 104m
no mass lost
b) (i) deflect the path of spacecraft
(ii) matter distorts spacetime particles in space-time follow shortest path path curved as mass
approaches black hole this is interpreted as a force
20. a) since the speed of light is independent of the speed of the source Alan’s source will appear to
be moving away from Brenda so according to the Doppler effect the light will appear to be
redshifted
b) because of the principle of equivalence the situation is the same as if Brenda was observing
light emitted from the surface of a planet

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