10 | Special Relativity 1
10 | SPECIAL RELATIVITY
CHAPTER REVIEW
Concept Items
10.1 Postulates of Special Relativity
(1) Why was it once believed that light must travel through a medium and could not
propagate across empty space?
A The longitudinal nature of light waves implies this.
B Light shows the phenomenon of diffraction.
C The speed of light is the maximum possible speed.
D All other wave energy needs a medium to travel.
Solution The correct answer is (D). All other forms of energy (sound, seismic, water waves,
etc.) propagated by waves must travel through a material medium and cannot cross
empty space.
10.2 Consequences of Special Relativity
(3) A particle (a free electron) is speeding around the track in a cyclotron, rapidly gaining
speed. How will the particle’s momentum change as its speed approaches the speed of light?
A The particle’s momentum will rapidly decrease.
B The particle’s momentum will rapidly increase.
C The particle’s momentum will remain constant.
D The particle’s momentum will approach zero.
Solution The correct answer is (B). The momentum of the particle will increase rapidly as the
speed approaches the speed of light. The speed will never reach the speed of light
because the particle cannot have infinite momentum.
(5) A comet reaches its greatest speed as it travels near the sun.
True or false—Relativistic effects make the comet’s tail look longer to an observer on Earth.
A True
B False
Solution The correct answer is (B). The difference in length would not be noticeable to the
naked eye, but even if it could be measured, it would appear to be shorter than it
would from the frame of reference of the comet.
Physics Instructor’s Solution Manual
10 | Special Relativity 2
Critical Thinking Items
10.1 Postulates of Special Relativity
(7) It takes light 6.0 min to travel from the sun to the planet Venus. How far is Venus from the
sun?
D
Solution The correct answer is (D). The distance, d, is the speed of light multiplied by the time
(6.0 min, or 360 s).
Physics Instructor’s Solution Manual
10 | Special Relativity 3
(9) Describe two ways in which light differs from all other forms of wave energy.
A 1. Light travels as a longitudinal wave.
2. Light travels through a medium that fills up the empty space in the universe.
B 1. Light travels as a transverse wave.
2. Light travels through a medium that fills up the empty space in the universe.
C 1. Light travels at the maximum possible speed in the universe.
2. Light travels through a medium that fills up the empty space in the universe.
D 1. Light travels at the maximum possible speed in the universe.
2. Light does not require any material medium to travel.
Solution The correct answer is (D). The speed of light represents the maximum possible
speed in the universe. Unlike other forms of wave energy, light does not require a
medium to travel.
10.2 Consequences of Special Relativity
(11) Halley’s Comet comes near Earth every 75 years as it travels around its 22 billion-km orbit
at a speed of up to 700,000 m/s. If it were possible to put a clock on the comet and read it each
time the comet passed, which part of special relativity theory could be tested? What would be
the expected result? Explain.
A It would test time dilation. The clock would appear to be slightly slower.
B It would test time dilation. The clock would appear to be slightly faster.
C It would test length contraction. The length of the orbit would appear to be shortened
from Earth’s frame of reference.
D It would test length contraction. The length of the orbit would appear to be shortened
from the comet’s frame of reference.
Solution The correct answer is (A). It would test time dilation. The clock would appear to be
slightly slower because the clock on the comet is at rest in its frame of reference,
measuring time at the same location, while an observer in Earth’s reference frame
sees the clock as moving and measuring times between events at different locations.
The time elapsed on Earth would be given by , and γ is always greater
than 1.
Problems
10.2 Consequences of Special Relativity
(13) Deuterium (2H) is an isotope of hydrogen that has one proton and one neutron in its
nucleus. The binding energy of deuterium is .
What is the mass defect of deuterium?
Physics Instructor’s Solution Manual
10 | Special Relativity 4
D
Solution The correct answer is (D). The mass defect is given by the equation
,
where E is the binding energy.
(15) Consider the nuclear fission reaction . If a neutron has a rest
mass of 1.009u, has a rest mass of 235.044u, has rest mass of 143.923u, and
has a rest mass of 88.918u, what is the value of E in joules?
D
Solution The correct answer is (B). The mass deficit in the reaction is
or 0.185u. Converting that mass to kilograms and applying to find the energy
equivalent of the mass deficit gives
.
Performance Task
10.2 Consequences of Special Relativity
(17) People are fascinated by the possibility of traveling across the universe to discover
intelligent life on other planets. To do this, we would have to travel enormous distances.
Suppose we could somehow travel at up to 90 percent of the speed of light. The closest star is
Alpha Centauri, which is 4.37 light years away. (A light year is the distance light travels in one
year.)
Physics Instructor’s Solution Manual
10 | Special Relativity 5
Part A. How long, from the point of view of people on Earth, would it take a space ship to
travel to Alpha Centauri and back at 0.9c?
Part B. How much would the astronauts on the spaceship have aged by the time they got
back to Earth?
Part C. Discuss the problems related to travel to stars that are 20 or 30 light years away.
Assume travel speeds near the speed of light.
Solution Sample answer:
Part A. If it takes light 4.37 years to travel to Alpha Centauri, the time it would take to go twice
that distance at 0.9 the speed of light is
.
Part B. The elapsed time on the spaceship would be
.
Part C. Key problems include attaining the specified speeds and human-factor issues related to
trips in space lasting decades.
Physics Instructor’s Solution Manual
10 | Special Relativity 6
TEST PREP
Multiple Choice
10.1 Postulates of Special Relativity
(19) What is the speed of light in a vacuum, to three significant figures?
Solution The correct answer is (B). The speed of light in a vacuum is .
(21) What is meant by the sentence, “Simultaneity is not absolute.”
A Events may appear simultaneous in all frames of reference.
B Events may not appear simultaneous in all frames of reference.
C The speed of light is not the same in all frames of reference.
D The laws of physics may be different in different inertial frames of reference.
Solution The correct answer is (B). Events may not appear simultaneous in all frames of
reference. If light speed is a constant and the two frames of reference are both valid,
then simultaneity is not the same for all observers.
10.2 Consequences of Special Relativity
(23) What does this expression represent?
A time dilation
B relativistic factor
C relativistic energy
D length contraction
Solution The correct answer is (B). The expression represents the relativistic factor, γ, defined
in terms of v, the speed of the observer, and c, the speed of light.
Physics Instructor’s Solution Manual
10 | Special Relativity 7
(25) The fuel rods in a nuclear reactor must be replaced from time to time because so much of
the radioactive material has reacted that the fuel rods can no longer produce energy. How
would the mass of the spent fuel rods compare to their mass when they were new?
A The mass of the spent fuel rods would decrease.
B The mass of the spent fuel rods would increase.
C The mass of the spent fuel rods would remain the same.
D The mass of the spent fuel rods would become close to zero.
Solution The correct answer is (A). The mass would decrease because some of the mass
would have been converted to energy in the course of the nuclear reaction that
produces energy.
Short Answer
10.1 Postulates of Special Relativity
(27) What is the postulate having to do with reference frames on which the theory of special
relativity is based?
A The frame of reference chosen is arbitrary as long as it is inertial.
B The frame of reference is chosen to have constant nonzero acceleration.
C The frame of reference is chosen in such a way that the object under observation is at
rest.
D The frame of reference is chosen in such a way that the object under observation is
moving with a constant speed.
Solution The correct answer is (A). The frame of reference chosen is arbitrary, and all inertial
frames of reference are equally valid.
(29) Why did Michelson and Morley orient light beams at right angles to each other?
A To observe the particle nature of light
B To observe the effect of the passing ether on the speed of light
C To obtain a diffraction pattern by combination of light
D To obtain a constant path difference for interference of light
Solution The correct answer is (B). It was done to observe the effect of the current of the
passing ether on the speed of light, with the expectation that the current would
impact the speed of light differently in the two cases.
10.2 Consequences of Special Relativity
(31) True or false—It is possible to use just the relationships and to show that
both sides of the equation have the same units.
A True
Physics Instructor’s Solution Manual
10 | Special Relativity 8
B False
Solution The correct answer is (A). Substituting, . Acceleration is measured in meters
2
per seconds squared (m/s ,) mass in kilograms (kg), and distance in meters (m).
Combining these three, we get
which are the units of .
(33) The sun loses about of mass every second. In terms of special relativity, why is
this happening?
A The sun loses mass because of its high temperature.
B The sun loses mass because it is continuously releasing energy.
C The sun loses mass because the diameter of the sun is contracted.
D The sun loses mass because the speed of the sun is very high and close to the speed of
light.
Solution The correct answer is (B). The sun loses mass because its mass is being converted
into energy and emitted as electromagnetic radiation. This is the result of nuclear
reactions in which the mass of the products is less than that of the reactants. It is
this mass difference that is equivalent to energy according to the equation
Extended Response
10.1 Postulates of Special Relativity
(35) A rowboat is drifting downstream. One person swims 20 m toward the shore and back, and
another, leaving at the same time, swims upstream 20 m and back to the boat. The swimmer
who swam toward the shore gets back first.
Which option explains how this outcome is similar to the outcome expected in the
Michelson–Morley experiment?
A The rowboat represents Earth, the swimmers are beams of light, and the water is
acting as the ether. Light going against the current of the ether would get back later
because, by then, Earth would have moved on.
B The rowboat represents the beam of light, the swimmers are the ether, and the water
is acting as Earth. Light going against the current of the ether would get back later
because, by then, Earth would have moved on.
Physics Instructor’s Solution Manual
10 | Special Relativity 9
C The rowboat represents the ether, the swimmers are rays of light, and the water is
acting as Earth. Light going against the current of the ether would get back later
because, by then, Earth would have moved on.
D The rowboat represents Earth, the swimmers are the ether, and the water is acting as
the rays of light. Light going against the current of the ether would get back later
because, by then, Earth would have moved on.
Solution The correct answer is (A). It was previously thought that Earth was moving through
an invisible substance called the ether. The river represents the ether, the boat is
Earth, and the swimmers are beams of light. Light going against the current of the
ether would get back later because by then the Earth would have moved on.
10.2 Consequences of Special Relativity
(37) Use the equation for length contraction to explain the relationship between the length of
an object perceived by a stationary observer who sees the object as moving, and the proper
length of the object as measured in the frame of reference where it is at rest.
A As the speed v of an object moving with respect to a stationary observer approaches c,
the length perceived by the observer approaches zero. For other speeds, the length
perceived is always less than the proper length.
B As the speed v of an object moving with respect to a stationary observer approaches c,
the length perceived by the observer approaches zero. For other speeds, the length
perceived is always greater than the proper length.
C As the speed v of an object moving with respect to a stationary observer approaches c,
the length perceived by the observer approaches infinity. For other speeds, the length
perceived is always less than the proper length.
D As the speed v of an object moving with respect to a stationary observer approaches c,
the length perceived by the observer approaches infinity. For other speeds, the length
perceived is always greater than the proper length.
Solution The correct answer is (A). The expression for length contraction is
.
As v approaches c, the value of the radical approaches zero, and so the observed length, L, also
approaches zero. At other speeds, L is always less than L0 because the value of the
radical is always less than 1.
Physics Instructor’s Solution Manual
