Question 1

The first person to recognize that motions add and subtract from each other:&#10;A) Newton&#10;B) Kepler&#10;C) Copernicus&#10;D) Galileo

Accepted Answer

Galileo Galilei was the first to articulate the principle of relativity of motion, recognizing that motions can add and subtract from each other, laying foundational concepts for classical mechanics.

Question 2

It was believed that light waves moved through this substance:&#10;A) aether&#10;B) air&#10;C) special relative substance&#10;D) general relativity

Accepted Answer

The concept of aether, also spelled ether, was historically proposed as the medium through which light waves move, akin to sound waves moving through air. This idea was later disproven by the Michelson-Morley experiment, leading to the development of Einstein's theory of relativity, which does not require a medium for light propagation.

Question 3

The idea that motion fundamentally alters the way space and time behaves is known as _____. A) inertia B) special relativity C) E=mc² D) black holes

Accepted Answer

Special relativity, proposed by Albert Einstein, fundamentally alters our understanding of space and time, especially under conditions of high velocity. It introduces concepts such as time dilation and length contraction, showing that the measurements of time and space are relative to the velocity of the observer.

Question 4

The Michelson-Morley experiment was an attempt to measure&#10;A) the speed of light in a vacuum.&#10;B) the speed of light in air.&#10;C) the motion of the Earth relative to the Sun.&#10;D) the motion of the Earth relative to a substance at rest called the aether.

Accepted Answer

The Michelson-Morley experiment aimed to detect the relative motion of the Earth through the hypothetical aether, a medium once thought necessary for the propagation of light. The experiment's null result was crucial in leading to the development of the theory of special relativity, as it suggested that the aether did not exist.

Question 5

The ________ paradox looked at traveling and non-traveling astronauts.

Accepted Answer

The answer of The ________ paradox looked at traveling and...

Question 6

The amount of length contraction of an object as it approaches the speed of light is called the ____.

Accepted Answer

The answer of The amount of length contraction of an...

Question 7

The Michelson-Morley experiment has been called the most famous 'failed' experiment.

Accepted Answer

The Michelson-Morley experiment is often referred to as a "failed" experiment because it did not detect the expected difference in the speed of light in different directions, which contradicted the then-prevailing ether theory, leading eventually to the development of Einstein's theory of relativity.

Question 8

Special relativity explained gravity.

Accepted Answer

Special relativity, proposed by Albert Einstein in 1905, focuses on the structure of spacetime and the relationship between energy and matter at high speeds, but it does not explain gravity. Einstein's theory of General Relativity, introduced in 1915, is the framework that describes gravity as the curvature of spacetime caused by mass and energy.

Deck 26: Special Relativity