Train, ball thrown, special relativity

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SUMMARY

The discussion centers on a physics problem involving special relativity, specifically the scenario of a train moving at a speed of 3c/5 and a ball thrown at c/3 from the back to the front of the train. To solve the problem, one must apply the principles of relativistic velocity addition to determine the ball's velocity in the ground's frame. The discussion emphasizes the need to calculate the time taken for the ball to reach the front of the train and the distances covered in the train's frame, the ball's frame, and the ground's frame.

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This discussion is beneficial for physics students, educators, and anyone interested in understanding the applications of special relativity in problem-solving scenarios.

airfrek
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This is a question off a take-home exam and I just need some help getting started on each part.

Homework Statement


A train of length L moves at speed 3c/5 with respect to the ground. A ball is thrown from the back to the front, at speed c/3 with respect to the train. How much time does this take, and what distance does the ball cover in the train's frame, the ball's frame, and the ground's frame?
 
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For the train and the ball's frame you can treat this as if you were stationary and threw the ball.

For the ground's frame you need to find the ball's velocity, so you use relativistic velocity addition.

You will have to show some work from here on out if you want more help :)
 
Last edited:
Yeah I'm sorry about that. This is my first time using something like this. I wasn't sure what I was supposed to do, but yeah I'll do a better job next time. Thank you for your help.
 

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