13/02/2017 The twin paradox (parts 1­4) | Coursera

The twin paradox (parts 1-4)

6/6 points earned (100%)

Excellent!

Retake

Course Home

1/1
 points

1. 
On Alice's outbound trip to the star, Bob observes Alice's clocks running slower
than his clocks. What does Alice observe regarding Bob's clocks?

Alice observes Bob's clocks running slower than her clocks.

Correct 

Alice observes Bob's clocks running faster than her clocks.

Alice observes Bob's clocks running at the same rate as her clocks.

1/1
 points

2. 
On Alice's return trip from the star back to Bob, Bob observes Alice's clocks
running slower than his clocks. What does Alice observe regarding Bob's clocks?

Alice observes Bob's clocks running slower than her clocks.

Correct 

https://www.coursera.org/learn/einstein­relativity/quiz/cKK7K/the­twin­paradox­parts­1­4 1/3
13/02/2017 The twin paradox (parts 1­4) | Coursera

Alice observes Bob's clocks running at the same rate as her clocks.

Alice observes Bob's clocks running faster than her clocks.

1/1
 points

3. 
In the twin paradox, it seems that Alice's and Bob's situations should be parallel
or symmetric to each other. That is, Bob observes Alice travel to the star and
back, but from Alice's frame of reference, it is Bob that travels away (in the
opposite direction) and returns. Why aren't their situations symmetrical?

Only Alice undergoes acceleration (and deceleration), leading to a

change in her frame of reference.

Correct 

Actually, there is no di
erence between their two situations--it's why

it is called a paradox.

Bob undergoes acceleration, but in the opposite direction to Alice,

thus causing the asymmetry which leads to the time di
erence.

1/1
 points

4. 
Just before Alice arrives at the star (before she slows down), she observes Bob's
clock back where he is located. (In other words, she has a photo taken of his
clock and her corresponding clock at that location, her clock being part of her
lattice of clocks.) Compared to her clock, does she observe Bob's clock to be
behind, ahead, or the same time as hers?

Bob's clock has the same time as her clock.

Bob's clock is ahead of her clock.

Bob's clock is behind her clock.

Correct 

https://www.coursera.org/learn/einstein­relativity/quiz/cKK7K/the­twin­paradox­parts­1­4 2/3
13/02/2017 The twin paradox (parts 1­4) | Coursera

1/1
 points

5. 
Just after Alice leaves the star on her return trip (and she's back up to her
cruising speed of 0.6c), she observes Bob's clock back where he is located. (In
other words, she has a photo taken of his clock and her corresponding clock at
that location, her clock being part of her lattice of clocks.) Compared to her
clock, does she observe Bob's clock to be behind, ahead, or the same time as
hers?

Bob's clock is behind her clock.

Bob's clock has the same time as her clock.

Bob's clock is ahead of her clock.

Correct 

1/1
 points

6. 
How does Alice explain the fact that when she returns, Bob has aged more than
she has, even though on both legs of her trip when she was traveling at 0.6c she
observed his clocks to run more slowly than hers?

Though it seemed to Alice as if Bob's clocks were running slower than

hers, they were actually running faster throughout the whole trip.

Due to the nite speed of light, there is a delay in when Alice sees the
reading on one of Bob's clocks, which means that Alice's observation
of Bob's clocks running slow is incorrect.

When she turned around at the star, she changed her frame of
reference, which led to his clocks jumping ahead of hers (from her
perspective).

Correct 

https://www.coursera.org/learn/einstein­relativity/quiz/cKK7K/the­twin­paradox­parts­1­4 3/3