Chapter 4 - Relativity

Time Dilation If two successive events occur at the same place in an inertial reference frame, the
time interval Δto between them, measured on a single clock where they occur, is the proper time
between the events. Observers in frames moving relative to that frame will measure a larger
value for this interval. For an observer moving with relative speed v, the measured time interval
is

Exe. 1. Here β=v /c is the speed parameter and γ =1 / √ 1−β 2is the Lorentz factor. An important
result of time dilation is that moving clocks run slow as measured by an observer at rest.

Exe. 2. An unstable high-energy particle enters a detector and leaves a track of length 1.05 mm
before it decays. Its speed relative to the detector was 0.992c. What is its proper lifetime? That is,
how long would the particle have lasted before decay had it been at rest with respect to the
detector?

Exe. 3. The premise of the Planet of the Apes movies and book is that hibernating astronauts
travel far into Earth's future, to a time when human civllization has been replaced by an ape
civllization. Considering only special relativity, determine how far into Earth's future the
astronauts would travel if they slept for 120 y while traveling relative to Earth with a speed of
0.9990c, first outward from Earth and then back again.

Exe. 4. (Come) back to the future. Suppose that a father is 20.00 y older than his daughter. He
wants to travel outward from Earth for 2.000 y and then back to Earth for another 2.000 y (both
intervals as he measures them) such that he is then 20.00 y younger than his daughter. What
constant speed parameter B (relative to Earth) is required for the trip?

Length Contraction The length Lo of an object measured by an observer in an inertial reference

Exe. 1. A spaceship of rest length 130 m races past a timing station at a speed of 0.740c. (a)
What is the length of the spaceship as measured by the timing station? (b) What time interval
will the station clock record between the passage of the front and back ends of the ship
Exe. 2. The center of our Milky Way galaxy is about 23 000 ly away. (a) To eight significant
figures, at what constant speed parameter would you need to travel exactly 23 000 ly (measured
in the Galaxy frame) in exactly 30 y (measured in your frame)? (b) Measured in your frame and
in lightyears, what length of the Galaxy would pass by you during the trip?

Exe. 3. The length of a spaceship is measured to be exactly half its rest length. (u) To three
significant figures, what is the speed parameter B of the spaceship relative to the observer's
frame? (b) gV what factor do the spaceship's clocks run slow relative to clocks in the observer's
frame?

Exe. 4. A space traveler takes off from Earth and moves at speed 0.9900c toward the star Vega,
which is 26.00 ly distant. How much time will have elapsed by Earth clocks (a) when the traveler
reaches Vega and (b) when Earth observers receive word from the traveler that she has arrived?
(c) How much older will Earth observers calculate the traveler to be (measured from her frame)
when she reaches Vega than she was when she started the trip?

The Lorentz Transformation The Lorentz transformation equations relate the spacetime
coordinates of a single event as seen by observers in two inertial frames, S and, S', where S' is
moving relative to S with velocity u in the positive x and x' direction. The four coordinates are
related by

Exe. 1. A clock moves along an x axis at a speed of 0.600c and reads zero as it passes the origin.
(a) Calculate the clock's Lorentz factor. (b) What time does the clock read as it passes x = 180 m?

Exe. 2. Inertial frame S' moves at a speed of 0.60c with respect to frame S (Fig. 37-9). Further, x
= x' = 0 at t = t'= 0. Two events are recorded. In frame S, event 1 occurs at the origin at t = 0 and
event 2 occurs on the x axis at x = 3.0km at t = 4.0 μs. According to observer S', what is the time
of (a) event 1 and (b) event 2? (c) Do the two observers see the two events in the same sequence
or the reverse sequence?

Exe. 3. In Fig. 37-9, observer S detects two flashes of light. A big flash occurs at x1 = 120O m
and, 5.00 μs later, a small flash occurs at x2 = 480 m. As detected by observer S', the two flashes
occur at a single coordinate x'. (a) What is the speed parameter of S', and (b) is S' moving in the
positive or negative direction of the x axis? To S', (.) which flash occurs first and (d) what is the
time interval between the flashes?
Relativity of Velocities When a particle is moving with speed u' in the positiv e x' direction in an
inertial reference frame S' that itself is moving with speed u parallel to the x direction of a second
inertial frame S, the speed u of the particle as measured in S is

Exe. 1. Galaxy A is reported to be receding from us with a speed of 0.35c. Galaxy B, located in
precisely the opposite direction, is also found to be receding from us at this same speed. What
multiple of c gives the recessional speed an observer on Galaxy A would find for (a) our galaxy
and (b) Galaxy B?

Exe. 2. Stellar system Q1 moves away from us at a speed of 0.800c. Stellar system Q2, which
lies in the same direction in space but is closer to us, moves away from us at speed 0.400c. What
multiple of c gives the speed of Qz as measured by an observer in the reference frame of Q1?

Exe. 3. A particle moves along the x' axis of frame S' with velocity 0.40c. Frame S' moves with
velocity 0.60c with respect to frame S. What is the velocity of the particle with respect to frame
S?

Momentum and Energy The following definitions of linear momentum ⃗p, kinetic energy K,
and total energy E for a particle of mass m are valid at any physically possible speed:

Exe. 1. The mass of an electron is 9.109 381 88 x 10-31 kg. To eight significant figures, flnd the
following for the given electron kinetic energy: (a) y and (b) B for K = 1.000 000 0 keV (c) y and
(d) B for K = 1.000 000 0 MeV, and (e) y and (t) pfor K: 1.000 000 0 GeV.

Exe. 2. A certain particle of mass has momentum of magnitude mc.What are (a) B, (b) y,,and (c)
the ratio K/E0?

Some supplementary exercises are found in the below links

- https://homework.study.com/learn/theory-of-relativity-questions-and-answers.html
- https://phys.libretexts.org/Bookshelves/University_Physics/
Exercises_(University_Physics)/Exercises%3A_College_Physics_(OpenStax)/
28%3A_Special_Relativity_(Exercises)