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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

  1. ABoth babies are exactly the same age
  2. BThe baby adjacent to the engine
  3. CThe baby adjacent to the guard
  4. 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 S′S' moving with velocity vv relative to the ground frame SS in the positive xx-direction.

Let the position of the compartment adjacent to the guard (rear of the train) be x1′=0x'_{1} = 0 and the compartment adjacent to the engine (front of the train) be x2′=Lx'_{2} = L, where LL is the proper length of the train.

According to the train frame, the babies are born at the exact same instant, so t1′=t2′=0t'_{1} = t'_{2} = 0.

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:
t1=γ(0+0)=0t_{1} = \gamma \left(0 + 0\right) = 0

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 t2>t1t_{2} > t_{1}, 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.
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