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IBDP Physics 2025 SL Questions

1.5 Galilean and Special Relativity (HL only)

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Question 1

A car is moving with a constant velocity of 20 m/s in the positive x-direction. An observer in another car moving with a velocity of 10 m/s in the same direction measures the velocity of the first car. What is the relative velocity of the first car as measured by the observer in the second car?

A. 10 m/s

B. 20 m/s

C. 30 m/s

D. 0 m/s

Select Answer

Question 2

Which of the following statements is true regarding inertial reference frames?

A. They are always accelerating.

B. Newton's laws of motion are different in all inertial reference frames.

C. They are non-accelerating frames.

D. Galilean relativity does not apply to them.

Select Answer

Question 3

Two events occur at the same time in one inertial reference frame. In another inertial frame moving relative to the first, which of the following is true?

A. The events always occur at the same time.

B. The events may occur at different times.

C. The events occur at different places but at the same time.

D. The events can never occur at the same time.

Select Answer

Question 4

The Lorentz transformation equations are derived from:

A. Newton's laws of motion.

B. Galilean relativity.

C. The postulates of special relativity.

D. The concept of inertial reference frames.

Select Answer

Question 5

Which of the following is an invariant quantity in special relativity?

A. Time

B. Length

C. Velocity

D. Space-time interval

Select Answer

Question 6

What is the implication of the second postulate of special relativity regarding the speed of light?

A. The speed of light is different in all inertial frames.

B. The speed of light is maximum in a vacuum.

C. The speed of light is the same in all inertial frames.

D. The speed of light can be exceeded by other particles.

Select Answer

Question 7

Which of the following is a practical application of special relativity?

A. Predicting the weather

B. GPS technology

C. Calculating the age of fossils

D. Determining the chemical composition of a substance

Select Answer

Question 8

In the context of special relativity, what does time dilation refer to?

A. Time speeds up for a moving observer.

B. Time slows down for a moving observer.

C. Time remains the same for all observers.

D. Time reverses for a moving observer.

Select Answer

Question 9

Which of the following experiments provides evidence for time dilation and length contraction in special relativity?

A. Double-slit experiment

B. Photoelectric effect experiment

C. Muon decay experiment

D. Young's interference experiment

Select Answer

Question 10

On a space-time diagram, what does the angle between the world line of a moving particle and the time axis represent?

A. The particle's acceleration

B. The particle's displacement

C. The particle's speed relative to the speed of light

D. The particle's potential energy

Select Answer

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