A person who knows Galilean-Newtonian mechanics leaves an earthbound laboratory

Question

A person who knows Galilean-Newtonian mechanics leaves an earthbound laboratory and establishes an isolated one in a closed, over-the-road trailer that a truck can pull without noise or vibration along a level highway. Is it possible to perform at least one experiment in the new laboratory system to determine whether the trailer has
(a) a linear acceleration
(b) a radial acceleration
(c) a constant linear velocity, or no velocity? Can you tell the difference?
Describe an experiment that might be performed in each case. Be sure to differentiate between case (a) and (b).

Explanation / Answer

For parts (A) and (B) you could suspend a weighted object from a string The acceleration would be in an opposite direction from the deflection of the string: Backwards for forward acceleration or forward for backwards acceleration. Likewise there would be deflection away from any centripetal acceleration. Note that the problem specifies a level highway - if the truck were on a slope then the slope could be adjusted so as to cancel any deflection due to gravity (Gravity and acceleration could not be discriminated within the truck) So you cannot tell whether the truck is moving at constant speed or motionless.

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