Physics for Scientists and Engineers: A Strategic Approach with Modern Physics (3rd Edition)

Published by Pearson
ISBN 10: 0321740904
ISBN 13: 978-0-32174-090-8

Chapter 36 - Relativity - Conceptual Questions - Page 1097: 11

Answer

(a) It is possible that event A caused event B. (b) It is not possible that event A caused event C.

Work Step by Step

(a) We can find the time required for a signal traveling at the speed of light to travel from $~x = 300~m~$ to $~x = 1200~m$: $t = \frac{d}{c}$ $t = \frac{1200~m-300~m}{3.0\times 10^8~m/s}$ $t = \frac{900~m}{3.0\times 10^8~m/s}$ $t = 3.0\times 10^{-6}~s$ $t = 3.0~\mu s$ We can find the earliest time a signal could reach $x = 1200~m$: $t = 2.0~\mu~s+3.0~\mu s = 5.0~\mu s$ Since a signal could reach $x = 1200~m$ before $6.0~\mu s$, it is possible that event A caused event B. (b) We can find the time required for a signal traveling at the speed of light to travel from $~x = 300~m~$ to $~x = 2400~m$: $t = \frac{d}{c}$ $t = \frac{2400~m-300~m}{3.0\times 10^8~m/s}$ $t = \frac{2100~m}{3.0\times 10^8~m/s}$ $t = 7.0\times 10^{-6}~s$ $t = 7.0~\mu s$ We can find the earliest time a signal could reach $x = 2400~m$: $t = 2.0~\mu~s+7.0~\mu s = 9.0~\mu s$ Since a signal could not reach $x = 2400~m$ before $8.0~\mu s$, it is not possible that event A caused event C.
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