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accelerate them. QUESTIONS The decay of a stationary pi-zero meson into two tons

ID: 3308669 • Letter: A

Question

accelerate them. QUESTIONS The decay of a stationary pi-zero meson into two tons occurs in about 10-16 sec. If this pi-zero 1 meson were moving at half the speed of light relative to us. would it appear to decay more quickly or more slowly 2 If a space pilot made a journey at speeds near the velocity of light while her twin sister remained behind on earth, who would be younger when the pilot re- turned to earth? Why couldn't the pilot say that the earth had been moving near the speed of light rela- tive to her, and so her earth-bound sister should be younger than she?

Explanation / Answer

1. Ans: The decay of a stationary pi-zero meson into two photons occurs in about 10-16 sec. If this pi-zero meson moving at half the speed of light relative to us, it would appear to decay more slowly because of the time dialation effect. When a body moves with the speed relative to speed of light then the relativity says the time gets streched or dialated.

2.Ans: The space pilot would be younger than the twin sister on earth when she returned to earth. Since moving clock (biological or atomic) always runs slower relative to the observer, so the twin on the earth will age faster than the one moving at speed near the velocity of light. The pilot can't say that the earth had been moving near the speed of light relative to her and so her earth bound sister should be younger. Since special relativity rule works in inertial frame not in accelerated frame. For pilot to come back to earth at some point have to change the velocity that is an accelerated frame. But as for twin on earth nothing like this will happen she will be in inertial frame always.