Physics
Physics
1st Edition
Walker
ISBN: 9780133256925
Textbook solutions

All Solutions

Section 27.1: The Postulates of Relativity

Exercise 1
Step 1
1 of 3
a) The inertial frame of reference is the coordinate system tied to a rigid body in which Newton’s 1st law holds i.e. there is no change in momentum of the body (measured in that system) when there is no net force acting on it.
Step 2
2 of 3
b) Second postulate says that the speed of light in vacuum is a constant (often denoted as $c$) and is the same measured from any inertial reference frame.
Result
3 of 3
Click for answer.
Exercise 2
Step 1
1 of 2
There are theories that predict the existence of so called tachions (particles that move faster than light) but according to relativity there is no way of detecting them. For example, the time interval transformed from a inertial frame of reference to a frame tied to tachion would be imaginary and there is no physical meaning in that. Note that this is true only in inertial frames while in non inertial frames we could measure particles moving faster than light.Also light travels slower in continuous medium than in vacuum and it is possible for a massive particle to move faster in that medium than the light does (but not faster than $c$) and this is known as Cherenkov effect.
Result
2 of 2
Click here for answer.
Exercise 3
Step 1
1 of 2
One of Einstein’s postulates states that: the laws of physics have the same form in all inertial reference frames. Thus, the outcome of an experiment doesn’t depend on the observer. In our case, we see that the achieved result in an experiment is the same for both an observer in a moving car with velocity $100 frac{text{km}}{text{h}}$ as for an observer in a laboratory frame of reference.
Result
2 of 2
The laws of physics have the same form in all inertial reference frames.
Exercise 4
Step 1
1 of 2
Since the reference frame tied to a car is not inertial we cannot claim that the outcome would be the same as in laboratory since we cannot invoke first Einstein’s postulate.
Result
2 of 2
Click here for the solution.
Exercise 5
Step 1
1 of 2
Einstein’s 2nd postulate states that the speed of light in vacuum $c$ is the same in all inertial frames of reference. This means that the speed of light does not depend on the observer, thus the stationary observer sees the light approaching her with a speed that is equal to the speed of light.
Result
2 of 2
The stationary observer sees the light approaching her with a speed that is equal to the speed of light.
unlock
Get an explanation on any task
Get unstuck with the help of our AI assistant in seconds
New