1. Jim stands at the front of a space ship moving at 90% of the speed of light a

Question

1.

Jim stands at the front of a space ship moving at 90% of the speed of light and fires a laser gun forward. Jim’s ship is moving past Steve who sees the ship moving at 90% of the speed of light away from him. Steve now sees Jim turn around and fire the gun backwards. From Steve’s point of view the laser light leaving the gun moves at.

Select one:

a. 190% of the speed of light

b. 10% of the speed of light

c. 90% of the speed of light

d. 100% of the speed of light

2.

Why would making a phone call to future explorers or colonists on the planet Mars be difficult?

Select one:

a. Mars is moving very rapidly with respect to the Earth’s frame of rest.

b. Mars is in a different orbit around the sun than the Earth.

c. Mars’ rotation would necessitate signal corrections for its frame of reference.

d. Mars is far away. There would be lag in the time light takes to get there.

3.

Jim stands at the front of a space ship moving at 90% of the speed of light and fires a laser gun forward. Jim’s ship is moving past Steve who sees the ship moving at 90% of the speed of light away from him. From Jim’s point of view the laser light leaving the gun moves at:

Select one:

a. 109% of the speed of light

b. 10% of the speed of light

c. 90% of the speed of light

d. 100% of the speed of light

4.

What of the following are challenges to deep space exploration at high velocity caused by relativistic considerations?

Select one:

a. Stars are so close together that there is a great risk of collision.

b. Food, water and air for an extended voyage would need to be recycled.

c. Time would pass very differently for the explorers compared to people back on Earth.

d. Radiation hazards in the interstellar medium are relatively unknown.

5.

Clock A and Clock B are synchronized and then Clock B is placed on a spaceship departing Earth at 80% the speed of light while Clock A stays on Earth. Of the two clocks which clock shows the correct time?

Select one:

a. Both Clock A and Clock B are correct.

b. Clock A is correct and Clock B is wrong.

c. Clock B is correct and Clock A is wrong.

d. Neither clock is correct.

6.

Antoine is a molecular exo-biologist on his way to a planet orbiting a star that is exactly 7 light years away from Earth to begin studying the suitability of the planet to support human life. He is eager to begin work as he says goodbye to his family and boards the spaceship for the long journey ahead.
When Antoine arrives at his destination he wants to send a message back to Earth to let everyone know he’s okay. If Antoine’s message is sent via tight-beam laser communication, how long will it take Antoine’s family to receive the message after he sends it?

Select one:

a. Less than 7 years

b. 7 years

c. 9 years

d. 14 years

7.

What did Einstein’s 1905 paper titled “On the Electrodynamics of Moving Bodies” introduce?

Select one:

a. Electromagnetism

b. Nuclear physics

c. General relativity

d. Special relativity

Explanation / Answer

1] The first postulate of Theory of Special Relativity is that the speed of light in vacuum remains the same regardless of the inertial frame of reference. So, from Steve's point of view, the light from the laser will be moving at the velocity of the velocity of light, that is, 100% of the speed of the light [answer - option d].

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