From a Stationary Position, I Observe a Moving Boxcar, Which

question 47

Multiple Choice

From a stationary position, I observe a moving boxcar, which has a mirror along the front wall, but it is open at the back of the boxcar. I send a flash of light from my flashlight and time the flash of light as it goes to the front of the boxcar and returns to the back of the boxcar. A passenger in the boxcar also times the round trip of the flash of light. Compare the times recorded on our watches.

• A) The time recorded on the two watches is the same.
• B) The time recorded on his watch is shorter.
• C) The time recorded on his watch is longer.
• D) The answer depends on the reference system you are in.

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Definitions:

American Medical Association

A professional association of physicians in the United States dedicated to promoting the art and science of medicine and the betterment of public health.

Binomially Distributed

A probability distribution of a variable that represents the number of successes in a fixed number of independent trials, with only two possible outcomes.

Random Variable

A random variable is a variable whose values are outcomes of a random phenomenon.

Sporting Goods Store

A retail establishment specializing in the sale of sports equipment, outdoor gear, and related merchandise.