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November 01, 2025, 09:52:17 am
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Author Topic: Special Relativity SAC Question  (Read 943 times)  Share 

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Shark 774

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Special Relativity SAC Question
« on: May 13, 2011, 03:59:39 pm »
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So, I had my relativity SAC today and there was a question that was almost exactly the same as one of the VCAA 2008 exam questions (attached). For this question the VCAA stated that all 4 answers were correct (clearly they decided the question was dodgy). In my answer I chose C & D and explained on the side my reasoning for this (which is what my teacher told me to do when I told him about the issue). What are your thoughts on the correct answer(s)?? He said that the paper I did today had been written after the VCAA made this mistake and that it was slightly different, however he doesn't teach relativity (the rest of my class did structures), he didn't write that SAC I did today and he often has no clue what he's talking about. I swear it's the exact same question, apart from names. Even the answers are in the same order.
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/0

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Re: Special Relativity SAC Question
« Reply #1 on: May 13, 2011, 04:11:09 pm »
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D might be incorrect, because special relativity requires that light travels at the same speed in all "inertial frames of reference"

I'm not really sure because the speed of light in non-inertial frames is a tricky subject.
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Shark 774

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Re: Special Relativity SAC Question
« Reply #2 on: May 13, 2011, 05:18:40 pm »
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Quote from: /0 on May 13, 2011, 04:11:09 pm
D might be incorrect, because special relativity requires that light travels at the same speed in all "inertial frames of reference"

I'm not really sure because the speed of light in non-inertial frames is a tricky subject.

True, however in the VCAA course structure they actually say "the speed of light has a constant value for all observers regardless of their motion or the motion of the source". Plus in a suggested solution (not released by VCAA) they said D would be the best answer.
« Last Edit: May 13, 2011, 05:21:59 pm by Shark 774 »
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/0

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Re: Special Relativity SAC Question
« Reply #3 on: May 13, 2011, 08:38:51 pm »
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Hmmm indeed... it's a horrible question regardless, and I would only worry about it if your teacher marks you incorrect on it. There's not much more you can learn from this question.
« Last Edit: May 13, 2011, 08:40:30 pm by /0 »
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Shark 774

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Re: Special Relativity SAC Question
« Reply #4 on: May 13, 2011, 09:22:40 pm »
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Quote from: /0 on May 13, 2011, 08:38:51 pm
Hmmm indeed... it's a horrible question regardless, and I would only worry about it if your teacher marks you incorrect on it. There's not much more you can learn from this question.

Yeah true thanks. If he marks me wrong I think I have a pretty strong case to argue my point seeing that the VCAA basically dubbed it a crap question themselves.
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Shark 774

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Re: Special Relativity SAC Question
« Reply #5 on: May 14, 2011, 09:41:14 am »
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Apparently A is correct because if they are simultaneous for Fred then they are NOT simultaneous for Nancy.
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forumguy

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Re: Special Relativity SAC Question
« Reply #6 on: May 19, 2011, 10:01:27 pm »
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Yes from my knowledge i can see that D is INCORRECT
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