PHY 3221 Classical Mechanics, Homework #10, due 8:30 am, 04/16/12 1 Consider the event, E1 , located at (x,

ct) = (1000, 1000) in a stationary frame, in which lengths are measured in meters. We will need to make use of the Lorentz transformations for motion in the x-direction. x = (x vx t), and t = (t vx x/c2 ), where 1 = . 1 (vx /c)2 a) Calculate the coordinates of this event in a frame moving at 3/5 the speed of light with respect to the stationary frame. For the moving observer we have = 1/ 1 (3/5)2 = 5/4. Then 5 (1000 4 5 ct = (1000 4 x = 3 1000) = 500 m, and 5 3 1000) = 500 m. 5

b) A second frame is moving at 4/5 the speed of light relative to the rst moving frame. Using your answer in part (a), calculate the coordinates of the same event in the second moving frame. For the second moving observer we have = 1/ 1 (4/5)2 = 5/3. Then 5 (500 3 5 ct = (500 3 x = 4 500) = 1500 m, and 5 4 500) = 1500 m. 5

c) A third frame is moving at 5/13 the speed of light relative to the stationary frame. Calculate the coordinates of event, E1 , in this third frame. For the third moving observer we have = 1/ 1 (5/13)2 = 13/12. Then x = ct 13 (1000 12 13 = (1000 12 5 1000) = 1500 m, and 13 5 1000) = 1500 m. 13

d) Use the addition formula for relativistic velocities to calculate the velocity of the second frame relative to the stationary frame. The velocity addition formula gives: V = u+v 3c/54c/5 5c = = . 1 + uv/c2 1 4 3/52 13

e) Comment on the relation between your answers in parts (b) and (c). The results are equal because the frames are both traveling at the same velocity, 5c/13, with respect to the stationary frame. 1

2 Consider the following four-vectors, X1 = (x1 , y1 , z1 , ct1 ) = (200, 300, 600, 700), X2 = (x2 , y2 , z2 , ct2 ) = (300, 200, 700, 600), X3 = (x3 , y3 , z3 , ct3 ) = (200, 400, 400, 600), X4 = (x4 , y4 , z4 , ct4 ) = (200, 400, 400, 700), where all lengths are measured in meters. a) Calculate the length of each of these four-vectors, and show whether they are time-like, space-like or light-like vectors. We have:
2 X1 = 2002 + 3002 + 6002 7002 = 0 lightlike, 2 X2 = 3002 + 2002 + 7002 6002 = 260, 000 spacelike, 2 X3 = 2002 + 4002 + 4002 6002 = 0 lightlike, 2 X4 = 2002 + 4002 + 4002 7002 = 130, 000 timelike.

b) Calculate the vector dot products X1 X2 and X1 X3 and X3 X4 . Given your results in part (a), comment upon the fact that none of these dot products is zero. We nd: X1 X2 = 200 300 + 300 200 + 600 700 700 600 = 120, 000 = 0, X1 X3 = 200 200 + 300 400 + 600 400 700 600 = 20, 000 = 0, X3 X4 = 200 200 + 400 400 + 400 400 600 700 = 60, 000 = 0. Perhaps surprisingly, none of these is zero, despite the fact that both X1 and X3 have squared length zero. c) Suppose that X1 + X3 is proportional to the proper four-velocity of a particle. Find the proportionality constant which gives it the correct normalization, and give the factor. This question is not very sensibly posed, because the Xs have units of m whereas a velocity has the units of m/s. Nevertheless, we can nd: (X1 + X3 ) (X1 + X3 ) = 4002 + 7002 + 10002 13002 = 40, 000, so proportionality constant will be c/200, with units of s1 . For the factor we compute the 1/ 1 v 2 /c2 and nd 1300/200 = 6.5. d) Why can X2 X3 not be proportional to a proper four-velocity? We nd (X2 X3 ) (X2 X3 ) = 1002 + (200)2 + 3002 02 = 140, 000 > 0, so it is spacelike, not timelike like a velocity. e) Suppose that X4 X3 is proportional to the proper four-velocity of a particle. Find the proportionality constant which gives it the correct normalization, and describe what sort of four-velocity it represents (hint: calculate the factor again). X4 X3 has only a time component, so it would represent the four-velocity of a particle at rest, with -factor equal to 1, with the proportionality constant being given by c/100. 2

3 A particle of mass 10 kg moves at 96% the speed of light. We will use X = (x, y, z, ct). a) Calculate its proper four-velocity. We have v/c = .96 so = 25/7, and V = 25c/7(24/25, 0, 0, 1). b) Calculate its proper four-momentum. From P = mV , we nd P = 250c/7(24/25, 0, 0, 1). c) It interacts with another identical particle moving in the opposite direction at the same speed and they stick together. What is the mass of the combined object? We nd:
Ptot = 250c/7(24/25, 0, 0, 1) + 250c/7(24/25, 0, 0, 1) = 250c/7(0, 0, 0, 2) = 500/7(0, 0, 0, c),

so the mass of the combined objects is 500/7 71 kg. d) Suppose, instead, that the particle collides with, and sticks to, an identical particle traveling at the same speed, but moving at right angles to the rst particle (as seen from a stationary frame). What is the nal speed of these joined particles? We have for the nal four-momentum:
Pnal = 250c/7(24/25, 0, 0, 1) + 250c/7(0, 24/25, 0, 1)

= 250c/7(24/25, 24/25, 0, 2) = 500c/7(12/25, 12/25, 0, 1), so the nal speed is 12 2c/25 = 0.679c, with nal = 1.362. e) What is the mass of these joined particles?
y x z With Pnal = mnal nal (vnal , vnal , vnal , c) we nd mnal = 500/7/nal = 52.45 kg.