Name: MANICAO, AEGEE CEDRICK F.

Subject: SCI116: MODERN PHYSICS

Year/Course: BSED/SCIENCE 3A Instructor: RODOLFO BANIQUED JR.

ACTIVITY #1

FOR YOU TO DO
1. A muon is a particle similar to electron. Muons pour down on you all the time at a
constant rate. If 500 muons arrive at a muon detector in one second, then 500 muons
will arrive during the next second. Muons have a half-life of 2 microseconds (10 -6
seconds). Beginning with 500 muons, after 2 microseconds there will be about 250
muons left. After 4 microseconds, there will be about 125 muons left. After 6
microseconds there will be about 62 muons left.
a.) How many muons would be left after four half-lives?
- So basically if I initially have 500 muons, I would be left 31 muons after 4
half-lives. This was calculated using half-life formula, which is: initial (1/2)
number of half-lives
.

2. The half-life of muons provides you with muon clock. Plot a graph of the number
of muons versus time. Use 500 muons as the size of the sample. This graph will
become your clock.

Column1
600

500

400

300

200

100

0
0 2 4 6 8 10 12 14 16 18

a.) If 125 muons remain, how much time has elapsed?

- The time elapsed for 4 microseconds
b.) If 31 muons remain, how much time has elapsed?
- The time elapsed for 8 microseconds
c.) If 300 muons remain, how much time has elapsed?
- The time elapsed for 1.60 microseconds
d.) If 400 muons remain, how much time has elapsed?
- The time elapsed for 0.80 microseconds
3. Measurements show that 500 muons fall on the top of Mt. Washington, altitude
2000 m. Muons travel at 99% the speed of light or 0.99 x 3.0 x 108 m/s.

Given:
Altitude (d) = 2000m v = 0.99( 3.0 x 108 m/s)
v = 0.99c v = 2.97x108m/s
c = 3.0x108m/s
nmouns = 500
a.) Calculate the time in microseconds it would take muons to travel from the top
of Mt. Washington to its base.

( )
−6
d 2000 m −6 10 μs
t= = 8
=6.734 x 10 s =6.734 μs
v 2.97 x 10 m/s 1s
b.) Use your calculation and the muon clock graph to find how many muons
should reach the bottom of Mt. Washington.
−t −6.734 μs
% of mouns remained = 2 T =2 2 μs
=9.6 % 9500 mouns¿=48.46 %

4. Experiments show that the actual number of muons that reach the base of
Mt. Washington is 400.
a) According to your muon clock graph, how much time has elapsed if
400 muons reach the base of Mt. Washington?
- There will be 80 μs
b) By what factor do the times you found differ?
6.734 μs
- =8.4175
0.80 μs
c) Suggest an explanation for this difference.
- Since there is a slight change of time the context, this
phenomenon is supported by time dilation by Einstein, which
states that time appears to pass differently for two observers
who are relative in motion to each other.
Albert Einstein had an answer. The muon’s time is different than your time
because muons travel at about the speed of light. He found that the time for the
muon’s trip (at their speed) should be 0.8 microseconds. That is the time that the
muon’s radioactive clock predicts.
PHYSICS TO GO
1. Use the half-life of muons to plot a graph of the number of muons vs. time for a
sample of 1000 muons.

number of muons vs. time for a sample of 1000 muons.

1200

1000

800

600

400

200

0
0 2 4 6 8 10 12 14 16 18 20

a) If 1000 muons remain, how much time has elapsed?

- There will be No time has elapsed.
b) If 250 muons remain, how much time has elapsed?
- 4µs elapsed.
c) How many muons are left after 6 half-lives?
- There will be 15.625 or 16 muons remained.
d) How many muons are left after 8 half-lives?
- There will be 3.906 or 4 muons remained.
2. If the speed of light were 20 mph . . .
You don’t experience time dilation or length contraction in everyday life. Those effects
occur only when objects travel at speeds near the speed of light relative to people
observing them. Imagine that the speed of light is about 20 mph. That means that
observers moving near 20 mph would see the effects of time dilation and space
contraction for objects traveling near 20 mph. Nothing could travel faster than 20 mph.
As objects approach this speed, they would become increasingly harder to accelerate.
Write a description of an ordinary day in this imaginary world. Include things you
typically do in a school day. Use your imagination and have fun with the relativistic
effects.
Write a description of an ordinary day in this imaginary world. Include things you
typically do in a school day. Use your imagination and have fun with relativistic effect.

In this imaginary world where the speed of light is around 20 mph, everyday life
would be quite different. The effects of time dilation and length contraction would
become noticeable at speeds near 20 mph, leading to some interesting scenarios.

As I wake up in the morning, I take a quick glance at the clock and realize that
time seems to be passing slower than usual. Due to the time dilation effect, even
the simplest tasks take longer to complete. Getting ready for school, from
brushing my teeth to putting on my uniform, feels like a never-ending process.
It's as if time has decided to slow down to a crawl.

Arriving at school, the effects of length contraction become apparent. The

hallways and classrooms seem compressed, giving the illusion that everything is
squished together. My friends appear shorter and wider than they usually do, but
we all adapt and make the most of it. Moving through the school becomes a
challenge as we squeeze past each other in the narrow corridors.

In class, our teacher explains the theory of relativity with a twist. Since the speed
of light is 20 mph, all our calculations and experiments are based on this speed.
We learn about the significance of time dilation and how it affects our daily lives.
Homework assignments take longer to complete due to the stretched-out time
frame, but we manage to adapt and plan our schedules accordingly.

During lunch break, we head to the school's science lab where experiments are
conducted under the relativistic circumstances. We witness phenomena that
baffle our minds. Objects moving at high speeds near 20 mph seem to gain
weight and require a tremendous force to push or lift. Even simple tasks like
opening a door become daunting as the inertia of objects increases.

After school, extracurricular activities and sports become a whole new

experience. Running at a speed near 20 mph feels like an incredible
accomplishment since it's the maximum speed anyone can achieve. Sprints and
races become thrilling events as we push our bodies to their limits, experiencing
the resistance of the heaviness caused by relativistic effects.

As the day comes to an end, we head home and spend time with family. It's
fascinating to discuss the strange experiences of the day with them. They share
their own tales of time distortion and length contraction in their workplaces and
daily routines.

Finally, as we lay in bed, we can't help but wonder about the possibilities of this
altered reality. Everyday tasks become more challenging, yet we adapt and find
new ways to navigate this relativistic world. We realize that the laws of physics
may be different here, but it only adds excitement and curiosity to our lives.

In this imaginary world where the speed of light is 20 mph, life may be strange
and sometimes inconvenient, but it's also a world where science and imagination
collide, offering us a unique perspective on the universe and the wonders of
relativistic effects.