School: Science
Course: Special Relativity.
Department: physics
Course No. 402362
Instructor: M. Alshudifat
Section: 1
Academic year: 2024/2025
April 11, 2025
Semester: Fall Al al-Bayt University.
Solved problem.
1. Answer the following parts
(a) What is the difference between inertial and non-inertial frames?
(b) What are the fundamental elements of the universe?
(c) What we can learn from Michelson-Morely experiment, give two points?
(d) Write down the special relativity second postulate, and what it implies?
(e) Why we cannot consider the earth an inertial frame relative to the sun?
2. A tank moves with 15 m/s constant velocity relative to the ground as shown in the
figure. At the moment that the tank 30 m away from observer A on the ground, it fired
a missile with 5 m/s2 constant acceleration relative to the tank.
Relative to observer A on the ground, calculate
(a) The acceleration of the missile.
(b) Initial velocity of the missile.
(c) Location of the missile after 2 s.
(d) Velocity of missile after 3 s.
3. Two evens A and B in s’-frame happened simultaneously at t′ = 0 in spatial location
(x′ , y ′ ) = (3, 5) m and (2,6) m, respectively. If s’-frame is moving with 0.8c speed along
x − x′ axis relative to s-frame.
Relative to s-frame, calculate
(a) Spatial location of the two events.
(b) Calculate the time difference between the two events and who happened first.
4. Two protons moving apart from each other, each with constant velocity of 0.6c relative
to the lab. What is the speed of the first one as seen by the second one according to
(a) Galilean transformation.
(b) Lorentz transformation.
5. Two army air jet (A and B) approaching each other, each with speed of 600 km/h relative
to the ground. Air jet A fired a missile with speed of 500 km/h relative to it self.
What is the speed of the missile as seen by air jet B? Draw your frames.
6. A stick in space station has 5 m length and make 53o with x-axis.
Relative to an observer moving away with constant velocity of 0.8c along x-x’ axis relative
to the station, calculate
(a) The angle with x’-axis.
(b) The length of the stick
7. The rest half-life (t1/2 )of a nucleus is 5 µs. Calculate the distance if cover relative to the
lab if it moves 0.6c with respect to the lab.
8. A particle moves with the ux =0.2c, uy =0, uz =0.1c relative to a space station. Answer
the following.
(a) Derive u′y .
(b) Calculate the velocity of the particle as seen by an observer in the spacecraft that
approaching the station with a speed of 0.8c.
Page 2
9. A light source emitting a 300 nm rest wavelength. If the light source is moving with 0.6c
constant velocity relative to an observer. Calculate the wavelength as measured by the
observer in the following cases
(a) The light source directly approaching the observer.
(b) The light source moving away directly from the observer.
(c) The light source velocity direction makes 60◦ with the line to the observer.
(d) At what angle the observer will measure the rest wavelength.
10. Calculate the velocity of a car that approaching a red light traffic, so the car can see
the light traffic to be green. The wavelength of the red light is 700 nm, and the green
light is 500 nm
Page 3
