Lesson: Time Dilation High School Physics

The Minkowski diagram shows two inertial reference frames: frame with axes and and frame with axes and . Frame moves at a speed of relative to frame . The red line shows the world line of a light bulb that is stationary in frame and is initially off. At and , the light bulb flashes for a fraction of a second. In frame , the amount of time between the flashes, , is 10 seconds. How much time passes between the flashes in frame ? Give your answer to 3 significant figures.

A space probe moving away from Earth at a speed of sends out transponder signals back to Earth at regular intervals. On Earth, the signals are received every 153.1 minutes. What is the interval between transponder signals that are sent out in the reference frame of the space probe? Give your answer to 4 significant figures.

A muon has a mean lifetime of s in its rest frame. What is the mean lifetime of a muon, as measured in the reference frame of a laboratory, moving at a speed of relative to the laboratory? Give your answer to 3 significant figures.