Practice Problems
Dilation Equations
Directions:
On this worksheet you will practice using these basic formulas from Special Relativity.
momentum
mass
time
length
kinetic energy
velocity addition
energy-mass
omit
Question 1
A proton has a rest mass of 1.67E-27 kg. What is its relativistic mass when it is travelling at 0.91c?
4.03 x 10
-27
kg
1.52 x 10
-27
kg
6.92 x 10
-28
kg
1.84 x 10
-27
kg
omit
Question 2
How much energy would be released if the rest mass of 136.5 grams of wood were to be entirely converted into energy?
1.23 x 10
17
J
1.23 x 10
16
J
1.23 x 10
22
J
1.23 x 10
19
J
omit
Question 3
The Stanford Linear Accelerator (SLAC) is 3.4 kilometers long. When in operation, it could produce beams of electrons that travelled at speeds to within 2 cm/sec the speed of light. If an electron in the beam was travelling at 0.999999971c, how long would it view the beam's tunnel?
9.86 x 10
-5
m
2.408 x 10
-3
m
8.188 x 10
-1
m
2.9 x 10
-2
m
omit
Question 4
Muons (or heavy electrons) are created when cosmic rays collide with molecules in the Earth's upper atmosphere. Calculate the time for them to travel to the Earth's suface, a distance of 4812.5 meters according to an observer moving with the muons If the muons, if they can travel on average at 0.8c?
7.219 x 10
-6
sec
7.7 x 10
-6
sec
1.203 x 10
-5
sec
2.005 x 10
-5
sec
omit
Question 5
If the average halflife for a muon is 2.2E-06 seconds, what percentage (expressed as a decimal) of the muons that start the trip in
Question #4
make it to the surface of the earth?
0.0226
0.0547
0.0018
0.0911
omit
Question 6
If an alpha particle has a velocity of 2.73 x 10
8
m/sec, what is its relativistic kinetic energy? The rest mass of an alpha particle is 6.644 x 10
-27
kilograms.
2.48 x 10
-10
J
5.98 x 10
-10
J
2.05 x 10
-10
J
8.44 x 10
-10
J
omit
Question 7
Two 22nd century cars are travelling in opposite directions. Each car is moving at moving towards each other at 0.71c m/sec. How fast does each car's speed sensor 'detect' the opposing car oncoming velocity?
0.944c
0.710c
1.420c
standing still, similar to a person
walking up a down escalator
omit
Question 8
Which of the following statements is NOT a postulate of special relativity?
Time appears to run more slowly in a frame of reference that is moving relative to an observer in a stationary frame.
The laws of mechanics are the same in all reference frames.
The speed of light is always equal to 1/µ
o
ε
o
= 3 x 10
8
m/sec regardless of the relative motion of the observor or the source.
The laws of physics are the same in all inertial reference frames.
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