Help with Length contraction of ruler at 60degree angle to observer

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SUMMARY

The discussion focuses on solving the problem of length contraction of a ruler positioned at a 60-degree angle to an observer's line of sight. Participants suggest using the relationship between the tangent of the angle in the stationary frame and the tangent of the angle in the moving frame to find the angle θ' in the primed frame. This approach leverages the principles of special relativity to derive the necessary calculations for length contraction. The key takeaway is the importance of understanding the transformation of angles between different reference frames in relativistic contexts.

PREREQUISITES
  • Understanding of special relativity concepts
  • Familiarity with Lorentz transformations
  • Knowledge of trigonometric functions, specifically tangent
  • Ability to analyze problems involving relative motion
NEXT STEPS
  • Study Lorentz transformations in detail
  • Learn about the implications of length contraction in different frames
  • Explore the relationship between angles in different inertial frames
  • Investigate practical applications of special relativity in physics problems
USEFUL FOR

Physics students, educators, and anyone interested in understanding the implications of special relativity on measurements and observations in different reference frames.

dcarmichael
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Homework Statement
7. A meter stick is moving with speed 0.8c relative to a frame S .
(a) What is the stick’s length, as measured by observers in S , if the stick is parallel
to its velocity v ?
(b) What if the stick is perpendicular to v ?
(c) What if the stick is at  60 to v , as seen in the stick’s rest frame? [Hint: You can
imagine that the meter stick is the hypotenuse of a 30-60-90 right triangle]
(d) What if the stick is at  60 to v , as measured in S ?
I believe i have solved a-c , but cant figure out d, looking suggestions?
Relevant Equations
L=Lo*sqrt (1-β^2)
told to use this equation and not lorentz transformation for this problem
71277446_965626353811554_7733868814437187584_n.jpg
 
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dcarmichael said:
(d) What if the stick is at  60 to v , as measured in S ?
...cant figure out d, looking suggestions?
There are different ways to solve this. One approach is to first find the value of ##\theta '## (the angle that the stick makes to the x'-axis in the primed frame). A hint for doing that is to consider how ##\tan \theta'## is related to ##\tan 60^o##.
 

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