Spatial Separation in Train and Earth's Frame of Reference

In summary, a train moves at a constant velocity of 21 m/s. The end of the train passes a sign at 12 noon and 4 seconds later a conductor starts collecting tickets. Another passenger located 55m from the rear of the train reads the newspaper at noon and finishes 42 seconds later. The spatial separation of these events in the frame of reference of the train and the earth is 828m.
  • #1
justinh8
44
0
Physics Relativity Question?

Homework Statement


I need some help with this,
A train moves at a constant velocity of 21 m/s. The end of the train passes a sign at 12 noon and 4 seconds later a conductor starts collecting tickets starting with a passenger sitting 25m from the rear of the train. Another passenger located 55m from the rear of the train reads the newspaper at noon and finishes 42 seconds later. What is the Spatial Separation of these events in the frame of reference of the train and the earth?


Homework Equations


delta x = delta x' + v x delta t


The Attempt at a Solution


What i did was i found the difference of the two events and the difference in the x was 30m. the difference in the time was 38 seconds and once i plugged it in the equation i got 828m. Idk if this is right or wrong nor do i know if this is in the frame of reference of the Earth or the train
 
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  • #2


anyone want to help?
 
  • #3


justinh8 said:

Homework Statement


I need some help with this,
A train moves at a constant velocity of 21 m/s. The end of the train passes a sign at 12 noon and 4 seconds later a conductor starts collecting tickets starting with a passenger sitting 25m from the rear of the train. Another passenger located 55m from the rear of the train reads the newspaper at noon and finishes 42 seconds later. What is the Spatial Separation of these events in the frame of reference of the train and the earth?


Homework Equations


delta x = delta x' + v x delta t


The Attempt at a Solution


What i did was i found the difference of the two events and the difference in the x was 30m. the difference in the time was 38 seconds and once i plugged it in the equation i got 828m. Idk if this is right or wrong nor do i know if this is in the frame of reference of the Earth or the train

justinh8 said:
anyone want to help?
Physics Forum Rules include the following regarding the practice of "bumping".
Do not "bump" one of your threads to the top of a forum's thread list by posting a basically empty message to it, until at least 24 hours have passed since the latest post in the thread; and then do it only once per thread.​
You managed to wait all of 81 minutes.
 
  • #4


justinh8 said:
A train moves at a constant velocity of 21 m/s. The end of the train passes a sign at 12 noon and 4 seconds later a conductor starts collecting tickets starting with a passenger sitting 25m from the rear of the train. Another passenger located 55m from the rear of the train reads the newspaper at noon and finishes 42 seconds later. What is the Spatial Separation of these events in the frame of reference of the train and the earth?

delta x = delta x' + v x delta t

What i did was i found the difference of the two events and the difference in the x was 30m. the difference in the time was 38 seconds and once i plugged it in the equation i got 828m. Idk if this is right or wrong nor do i know if this is in the frame of reference of the Earth or the train
My first question is: What events is it asking about? There are at least three.

At 12:00:04, the conductor collects a ticket from passenger A, who is sitting 25m from the rear of the train.

At 12:00:00 a passenger B, who is 55m from the rear of the train, begins reading the newspaper.

At 12:00:42 the passenger B finishes reading the newspaper.​
Other possible events include:
Passenger A passing by the sign.

Passenger B passing by the sign.

The rear of the train passes by the sign.

We could also count the entire 42 seconds worth of passenger B reading the paper. If so, that event may span more than a single point in space, depending upon the frame of reference.

The spatial separation of most of these events, in the reference frame of the train is pretty obvious.

By what distance are they separated in the frame of reference of the Earth ?
 
  • #5


Ya, i think were not taking about the event of the women that was 25 m from the rear so i think you can just erase that part (my teacher cleared it up) so in reference to the earth, would it just be delta x = 0 + 21(42)? that would be my guess but I am not sure. and if it was reference to the bus, it would be just zero right?
 
  • #6


justinh8 said:
Ya, i think were not taking about the event of the women that was 25 m from the rear so i think you can just erase that part (my teacher cleared it up) so in reference to the earth, would it just be delta x = 0 + 21(42)? that would be my guess but I am not sure. and if it was reference to the bus, it would be just zero right?
What bus ?
 

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The theory of relativity is a cornerstone of modern physics that explains the relationships between time, space, and gravity. It was first introduced by Albert Einstein in the early 20th century and has been extensively tested and verified through experiments and observations.

2. What is the difference between special and general relativity?

Special relativity deals with the laws of physics in non-accelerating frames of reference, while general relativity takes into account the effects of acceleration and gravity. In other words, special relativity explains the behavior of objects moving at constant speeds, while general relativity explains the behavior of objects in gravitational fields.

3. How does relativity affect our understanding of time and space?

Relativity tells us that time and space are not absolute, but are relative to the observer's frame of reference. This means that the perception of time and space can vary for different observers depending on their relative speeds and positions.

4. Can you give an example of the effects of relativity in everyday life?

One example of the effects of relativity in everyday life is the phenomenon of time dilation. This occurs when an object moves at high speeds, causing time to pass slower for that object compared to a stationary observer. This has been observed in experiments with high-speed particles and also has practical applications in GPS technology.

5. How has the theory of relativity impacted the field of physics?

The theory of relativity has had a significant impact on the field of physics, revolutionizing our understanding of space, time, and gravity. It has also led to the development of other important theories, such as quantum mechanics, and has been used to make predictions that have been confirmed through experiments and observations.

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