ch 36

What does special relativity reveal about the speed of light relative to its source?

A)Light moves at the same speed independent of the motion of the source.

Which of the following statements are true concerning the Michelson-Morley experiment? Check all that apply.

A)The Michelson-Morley experiment had a null result. B)Michelson and Morley concluded from the results of their experiment that the experiment was a failure.

Which of the following is an inertial reference frame?

A)a reference frame that is moving downward at a constant speed C)a reference frame that is motionless D)a reference frame that is moving upward at a constant speed

Which of the following depends on the observer's frame of reference?

A)the half-life of a muon B)the passage of time C)the length of a meter stick

Which of the following statements are true concerning special relativity? Check all that apply.

ALL A).The laws of physics have the same form in all inertial reference frames. B)Clocks moving relative to an observer are measured by that observer to run more slowly compared to clocks at rest. C)The length of an object is measured to be shorter when it is moving relative to the observer than when it is at rest. D)Light propagates through empty space with a definite speed independent of the speed of the source or observer. E)Time can no longer be regarded as an absolute quantity.

Suppose you are traveling in a spaceship at a velocity close to the speed of light. Which of the following would you notice?

B)You would notice none of the changes listed.

A clock is moving relative to an observer with a velocity that approaches the speed of light. How does the passage of time measured by the moving clock compared to the passage of time measured by a stationary clock?

C)The moving clock appears to run more slowly.

Two spaceships are each traveling in a straight line at 0.95c. The first ship is moving directly toward the Sun. The second ship is moving directly away from the Sun. Observers on each ship measure the velocity of light coming from the Sun. What do they measure to be the velocity of the light coming from the Sun?

D)Both ships measure a velocity equal to c.

An object is moving with a velocity that approaches the speed of light. How does the length of the moving object appear to a stationary observer relative to its rest length?

D)The length of the moving object appears less than its rest length.

Suppose one twin takes a ride in a spaceship traveling at a very high speed to a distant star and back again, while the other twin remains on Earth. When the traveling twin returns, how do the ages of the twins compare?

D)The traveling twin is younger than the twin who remained on Earth.