Special Relativity and the Twin Paradox

The video explores the Twin Paradox, where identical twin astronauts, Terra and Stella, experience different aging rates due to Stella's space journey at 86.6% the speed of light. Special relativity explains that time passes slower for Stella, who travels, compared to Terra, who remains on Earth. The Lorentz factor quantifies this time dilation. The paradox arises from the relativity of motion, but is resolved by recognizing that Stella changes reference frames during her journey. Light signals exchanged between the twins illustrate the time differences, ultimately showing Terra ages more than Stella. The video clarifies the concepts of time dilation and inertial frames in special relativity.

What is the speed of Stella's spaceship relative to the speed of light?

• 50% the speed of light

• 75% the speed of light

• 99% the speed of light

• 86.6% the speed of light

What is the Lorentz factor at 86.6% the speed of light?

• 1

• 2.5

• 2

• 1.5

According to special relativity, what happens to time as an object moves faster through space?

• Time remains constant

• Time slows down

• Time speeds up

• Time reverses

Who would notice the time dilation on Stella's spaceship?

• Neither Stella nor Terra

• Stella herself

• Both Stella and Terra

• Observers in an inertial reference frame

What is the Twin Paradox?

• A phenomenon where both twins age equally

• A contradiction in special relativity

• A situation where one twin ages faster than the other

• A misunderstanding of time dilation

How do the twins test their theories in real-time?

• By sending letters

• By sending bursts of light

• By meeting halfway

• By using telepathy

From Terra's perspective, how does Stella's aging appear during the return journey?

• Stella ages at a constant rate

• Stella does not age

• Stella ages rapidly

• Stella ages slowly

What does Stella observe about the distance between her and Terra due to length contraction?

• The distance shrinks by a factor of 2

• The distance increases

• The distance remains the same

• The distance shrinks by a factor of 3

How old is Terra when the twins are reunited?

• 31 years old

• 50 years old

• 35 years old

• 43 years old

Why does Stella not have an equal claim to being an inertial observer?

• She was at rest the entire time

• She changed her direction during the journey

• She did not experience time dilation

• She traveled at a constant speed