Concepts Of Physics MCQ Edition [Volume 2]
- Exam
- Concepts Of Physics MCQ Edition [Volume 2]
- Subject
- Physics
- Chapter
- The Special Theory of Relativity
Concepts Of Physics MCQ Edition [Volume 2] · Physics · The Special Theory of Relativity
Two babies are born on a moving train; one is in the compartment...
Two babies are born on a moving train; one is in the compartment adjacent to the engine and the other is in the compartment adjacent to the guard. According to the train frame, the babies are born at the exact same instant of time. Who is elder according to the ground frame?
Options
- ABoth babies are exactly the same age
- BThe baby adjacent to the engine
- CThe baby adjacent to the guard
- DIt depends on the magnitude of the train's speed
Correct answer
C. The baby adjacent to the guard
Step-by-step solution
Let the train frame be moving with velocity relative to the ground frame in the positive -direction.
Let the position of the compartment adjacent to the guard (rear of the train) be and the compartment adjacent to the engine (front of the train) be , where is the proper length of the train.
According to the train frame, the babies are born at the exact same instant, so .
Using the Lorentz transformation for time, the time of an event in the ground frame is given by:
t = \gamma \left(t' +\dfrac{v x'}{c^2}\right)
For the baby born adjacent to the guard:
For the baby born adjacent to the engine:
t_{2} = \gamma \left(0 +\dfrac{v L}{c^2}\right) = \dfrac{\gamma v L}{c^2}
Since , the birth of the baby adjacent to the engine occurs later in the ground frame.
Because the baby adjacent to the guard is born earlier in the ground frame, this baby is elder according to the observers on the ground.
Let the position of the compartment adjacent to the guard (rear of the train) be and the compartment adjacent to the engine (front of the train) be , where is the proper length of the train.
According to the train frame, the babies are born at the exact same instant, so .
Using the Lorentz transformation for time, the time of an event in the ground frame is given by:
t = \gamma \left(t' +\dfrac{v x'}{c^2}\right)
For the baby born adjacent to the guard:
For the baby born adjacent to the engine:
t_{2} = \gamma \left(0 +\dfrac{v L}{c^2}\right) = \dfrac{\gamma v L}{c^2}
Since , the birth of the baby adjacent to the engine occurs later in the ground frame.
Because the baby adjacent to the guard is born earlier in the ground frame, this baby is elder according to the observers on the ground.