Assignment 1

JIF 103 Physics I • Revision

1(a)
With appropriate illustration/equation (if any), give your comments on the truthfulness of the following
statements:
The universe is embedded in ether No

No ether Ether
Mirror A Mirror A
u
L
t↑ =
L v′ v v′2 − u 2 L u

u
Mirror B

Mirror B
L
t↓ =
v′ v
v′2 − u 2
half-
silvered L L
half-
mirror
silvered
L L
mirror t→ = t← =
u + v′ − ( u − v′ )

screen screen

2L
t = =t↔
L
+
L
v′ − u − ( u − v′ ) u + v′
2 2
L L
t = 2 t↔ = 2
v v

waves in phase
 waves not in phase

Michelson –Morley Experiment

1(b)
With appropriate illustration/equation (if any), give your comments on the truthfulness of the following
statements:
Live in the fast lane for slowing ageing and staying slim Yes

Consider:
Identical twins, A and B both have the same age, i.e. 30 years old with same side length, 24 cm
A stays at rest on earth. B travels near speed of light, vB = 0.7 c.

At rest on earth B travelling at vB = 0.7 c

2
Lo v
=
L = Lo 1 −  
γ c
A B I

On earth
B living in the fast lane:
LB =24 1 − ( 0.7 ) =17 cm
2
L=
oA L=
oB 24 cm His side length contracted = slimmer

to
to= to= 30 years old t γ=
= to
2
A B
v
1−  
c
After 10 years on earth: B living in the fast lane:
tB =30 + 10 1 − ( 0.7 ) =
2
tA =30 + 10 = 40 years old 37.1years old His time dilate = slow ageing
1(c)
With appropriate illustration/equation (if any), give your comments on the truthfulness of the following
statements:
A stationary 13 m space telescope needs to make an angle of 25° with the horizontal in order to
observe Saturn. Its angle has been calibrated and locked, but it does not send any photo of Saturn. A
passing-by space probe is sent to troubleshoot the telescope angle. While travelling at 0.7c, the
probe reports that the telescope is at an angle of 50° with the horizontal. Thus, it is the telescope’s
angle of inclination that causes it not to send the Saturn photos
No, its something else
v = 0.7 c
Probe

According to the probe:

telescope horizontal component, L contracted in the direction of motion

2
Lo v
=
L = Lo 1 −   = 11.78 1 − ( 0.7 ) = 8.41m
2

γ c
earth

−1  8.41  telescope correctly

θ probe = cos  =  49.6 ≈ 50
 

 13  gives its measurement

25°

= =
Lo 13cos 25 11.78 m
1(d)
With appropriate illustration/equation (if any), give your comments on the truthfulness of the following
statements: Adam’s house was 5 km away from a school. From a high ground, Adam saw a tsunami
wave smashed into his house 22 µs earlier than the school. A youtube video from a
drone flying at 0.8c shows that the school being hit earlier than his house. Not true

v = 0.8 c

drone ux1 ux2

t1 − t2 −
t1′ = c2 t2′ = c2
2
v
2
v 1−  
1−  
c c

0−0 −6
( 0.8 ) ( 5 ×103 )
= 2.2 × 10 −
3 × 108
1 − ( 0.8 ) =
2

1 − ( 0.8 )
2

= 0s = 14.4 μs
Adam
drone sees school being hit
t1 = 0 s t2 = 22 µs 14.4 µs later than Adam’s house

x=0 x = 5 km
1(e)
With appropriate illustration/equation (if any), give your comments on the truthfulness of the following
statements: Suppose our sun is about to explode. Our sun is less than a light-year away from us. To escape, we
depart in a spaceship at 0.8c and head toward the star Tau Ceti, 12 light-years away. When we reach
the midpoint of our journey from earth, we see our sun explode and, unfortunately, at the same
instance we see Tau Ceti explode as well. We conclude that the two explosions occurred
simultaneously.
Not true

Time of the explosion = when it happen and not when it is seen

For sun explosion wavefront

to reach us at the same time as
Tau Ceti wavefront
explode earlier than Tau Ceti
explode

sun earth Tau Ceti

more than 6 light-years 6 light-years

2
Firdaus wishes to visit the red giant star Betelgeuse, which is 430 light-years away, and that he wants his
20,000 kg spaceship to move so fast that he ages only 20 years during the round trip. How fast must his
spaceship travel relative to the earth?

v=?
Firdaus to = 20 years
2
v
L ==
v to Lo 1−  
c
2
 v to 
2
v
  = 1−  
 Lo  c

1 1
v= =
2
 to 
2 2 2
1    
  +  
20
 + 
1

 Lo  c  ( 340 ) ( 3 × 108 )   ( 3 × 108 ) 
   

2.996 × 108 m s −1 =
= 0.998 c
Earth

Lo = 430 c years
3
Liew’s rocket Ramzi’s rocket Liew and Ramzi are travelling in their respective
0.8 c 0.6 c rockets towards each other as shown in Figure 1. A
measurement done by Noraza, a mission controller
on earth, showed the following data:

Variables Liew’s Rocket Ramzi’s rocket

2.52 × 1012 m
Speed 0.8c 0.6c

Noraza Length 50 m 80 m

According to Liew, what is the

(i) length of Ramzi’s rocket? (ii) velocity of Ramzi’s rocket?

2
LoRamzi v LNoraza 80
LNoraza == LoRamzi 1−   → LoRamzi = = = 100 m
γ c v
2
1 − ( 0.6 )
2

1−  
c

 v′ 
2
LoRamzi
LRamziLiew == LoRamzi 1−=
  (100 ) 1 − ( 0.95 )
2
= 31.2 m
γ  c 

u = 0.8c
Liew v −u −0.6c − 0.8c
v′ = ? v = − 0.6c =v′ = = 0.95 c
Noraza 1− 2
vu
1−
( −0.6c )( 0.8c )
Ramzi c c2
3
Liew’s rocket Ramzi’s rocket Liew and Ramzi are travelling in their respective
0.8 c 0.6 c rockets towards each other as shown in Figure 1. A
measurement done by Noraza, a mission controller
on earth, showed the following data:

Variables Liew’s Rocket Ramzi’s rocket

2.52 × 1012 m
Speed 0.8c 0.6c

Noraza Length 50 m 80 m

(b) During the measurement, Noraza found that the rockets are 2.52 × 1012 m away from each other.
If Ramzi has only 90 minutes to save himself and Liew, will there be a tragic loss of lives?
Justify your answer. No

 v′ 
2

( 2.52 ×1012 ) 1 − ( 0.95)= 2.02 ×1012 m

Lo Noraza
== Lo Noraza 1 −   =
2
LRamzifrom Liew
γ c
d Ramzifrom Liew 90 min < LRamzifrom Liew

d Ramzifrom Liew 90 min = v′t = ( 0.95 ) ( 3 ×108 ) ( 90 × 60

= ) 1.54 × 1012 m
4
When a slow electron and a slow positron collide, they annihilate each other and produce two high energy
gamma rays.

(a) Why is possible to produce high energy gamma rays from two slow moving particles?

Pair annihilation has occurred

Positron are the anti-particle of electron
They annihilate to become gamma ray photons
transformed
Mass Energy
Mass-energy equivalence

(b) Determine the wavelength of the emitted gamma rays.

Slow moving → can ignore KE

hc h 6.63 × 10 −34
=
2 Eo 2=
mc 2
2 →λ == = 2.46 × 10 −12
m
λ mc ( 9.11×10 )( 3 ×10 )
−31 8
5
A particle has rest energy 1872 MeV and mean lifetime 8.2 × 10−11 s. It is created and decays in a particle
track detector. It leaves a track 35 mm long. What is the

(a) (i) speed of the particle in terms of c? c 2 to

=
( 3 ×10 ) (8.2 ×10 =)
8 2 −11

6.02 ×109
( 35 ×10 )
2 −3 2
Lo

2
 c 2 to   c 2 to 
−  2  +  2  + 4c 2
to c 2 to  Lo   Lo 
L=
o vt= v → v + 2 v−c =
2 2
0 →v=
v Lo 2
1−  
c
− ( 6.02 ×109 ) + ( 6.02 ×10 ) 9 2
+ 4 ( 3 ×108 )
2

=
2
1.49 × 107 m s −1 =
= 0.05c

(ii) momentum of the particle?

 (1872 ×106 )(1.6 ×10−19 ) 

E  1   ( 0.05 ) ( 3 ×108 ) = 5 ×10−20 kg m s −1
=p γ=
mv γ  2o v
c  1 − ( 0.05 )  ( 3 ×108 ) 
2 2

Eo = mc 2
5
A particle has rest energy 1872 MeV and mean lifetime 8.2 × 10−11 s. It is created and decays in a particle
track detector. It leaves a track 35 mm long.

(b) How much energy is needed to produce the particle?

E = γ Eo =
(1872 )
= 1874.3 MeV
1 − ( 0.05 )
2

(c) Is the particle massless? Justify your answer.

Eo (1872 ×10 )(1.6 ×10 )

6 −19
−27
Eo = mc → m =2 =
2
= 3.33 × 10 kg No
c ( 3 ×10 )
8 2
5
A particle has rest energy 1872 MeV and mean lifetime 8.2 × 10−11 s. It is created and decays in a particle track
detector. It leaves a track 35 mm long.

(d) Supported by evidence, give your arguments to the beliefs that the

(i) total energy of the particle is equal to its kinetic energy. No

E = 1874.3 MeV
 
1 E ≠ KE
(γ − 1) Eo 
K== − 1 (1872 ) = 2.34 MeV

− ( )
2
 1 .05 

(ii) particle will eventually reach the speed of light if it is continuously accelerated. No

m ↑ with v hinders v reaching c → vparticle cannot exceed c

m
Assignment 1

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JIF 103 Physics I • Revision