Two clocks are synchronized, and then one is put in a race car that subsequently

Question

Two clocks are synchronized, and then one is put in a race car that subsequently goes 50 times around a circular track (radius 5.0 km) at a constant speed. The two clocks are then compared.

1. (a) Is the ground clock inertial?

(b) Is the car clock inertial?

(c) Name and define 2 events that are likely to be useful in comparing the measurements made by the clocks.

(d) What kind(s) of time does the ground clock measure between your events: proper, coordinate, spacetime interval, none of these?

2. What kind(s) of time does the car clock measure between your events: proper, coordinate, spacetime interval, none of these?

3. If the car’s speed was 0.8c, then how long did the car’s entire trip take according to the clock on the ground? (Hint: Since this part of the problem is asking purely about measurements made within a single frame [the ground frame], you can get away with using Newtonian ideas about speed, time, and geometry.)

4. If the car’s speed was 0.8c, then by how much time do the clocks differ? (Hint: In this part of the problem, you’re comparing measurements in two frames moving with respect to each other, so Newtonian ideas are not likely to work.)

Explanation / Answer

a) Yes, inertial as it is at rest

b) No as it is in motion.

c) event one: a lightening, event two: a bomb blast.

d) spacetime interval

Related Questions

Navigate

• Browse (All)
• Browse T
• Subjects

Integrity-first tutoring: explanations and feedback only — we do not complete graded work. Learn more.