SPECIAL THEORY OF RELATIITY

1. Write the basic postulates of the special theory of relativity.

2. Could the speed of light vary?

3. Is the speed of shadow is faster than speed of light.

4. Discuss the Michelson-Morley Experiment.

5. Explain the basic principle of Einstein’s special theory of relativity. Deduce the Lorentz space-
time transformation formulae.

6. Calculate the percentage contraction of a rod moving with a velocity 0.8c in a direction
inclined at 60° to its own length.

7. In the laboratory the life time of a particle moving with a speed 2.8 × 10 8 ms−1 is found to be
2.5 × 10−7s. Calculate the proper life time of the particle.

8. The rest mass of a proton is 1.67 × 10−27 kg and the rest mass of π+ meson is 0.25 ×10−27 kg. At
what speed will the mass of π+ meson become equal to the rest mass of proton?

9. Derive the energy momentum relationship for a particle moving with velocity v and rest mass
m0.

10. A particle of rest mass m0 moves with a speed c/√2. Calculate its mass, momentum, kinetic
energy and total energy.

11. Show that if l03 is the rest volume of a cube, then l03(1 − β2)1/2 is the volume viewed from a
reference frame moving with uniform velocity v , in a direction parallel to an edge of the cube,
where β = v⁄c.

12. At what speed should a clock be moved so that it may appear to lose 1 minute in each hour?

13. In Michelson- Morley experiment, the length of arm of interferometer was 11.5 meters. The
wavelength of the light 5.0 × 10−7 m and earth’s velocity 3 × 104 m/sec, calculate the fringe shift.

14. Show that the circle, x2 + y2 = a2 in the frame S appears to be an ellipse is frame S’ which is
moving with velocity v relative to S.

15. We consider a spaceship the moves away from earth with the velocity v = 0.866c. It emits
two light signals to spaced by ∆t′ = 4s

(a) What is the time distance ∆T (earth time) between the two signals arriving on earth?

(b) What distance, measured from earth, did the spaceship cover between emitting the two
signals?
(c) A body at rest in the spaceship has the mass m 0= 1kg. What is its kinetic energy measured
from earth?

16. A measuring rule of rest length l moves relative to an observer with the velocity v. The
observer measures the length of the rule to be 2/3l. Find the velocity v.