A cargo sled moves at a steady along the common axis of an inertial station frame ;…

PHYSICS · Multi-part · Fermi University Physics · Relativity & Gravitation · Special relativity: spacetime and kinematics · Special relativity: spacetime and kinematics

Relativity and Gravitation, Ch The postulates and the Lorentz transformation

Problem

A cargo sled moves at a steady v=0.750cv = 0.750c along the common +x+x axis of an inertial station frame SS; the sled's rest frame S′S' is in standard configuration with SS. Take c=2.998×108 m s−1c = 2.998\times10^8\ \mathrm{m\,s^{-1}}. The sled does two things as it passes the station. ((a)) It fires a laser pulse straight ahead, in the +x+x direction. Predict, from the postulates alone, the speed of that pulse measured in the station frame SS, and give the number in m s−1\mathrm{m\,s^{-1}}. ((b)) It fires a shell straight ahead at u′=0.400cu' = 0.400c as measured on the sled. Predict whether the station measures more or less than 1.150c1.150c, and then compute the shell's speed in SS, in m s−1\mathrm{m\,s^{-1}}.

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