Lesson 8.3.3

8.3.3 Relativistic effects and high-energy physics Quiz: Pearson Edexcel Physics, Unit 8

20 questions

Written by Revision Ninja · Last reviewed 11 October 2026

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Lesson 8.3.3, Relativistic effects and high-energy physics: 20 multiple choice questions for the Pearson Edexcel Physics (9PH0), Unit 8: Nuclear and Particle Physics, written with Revision Ninja.

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The 20 questions

  1. What relativistic effect increases the observed lifetime of a fast-moving particle?

    • Mass increase
    • Redshift
    • Length contraction
    • Time dilation

  2. In which frame of reference is the shortest lifetime of a relativistic particle measured?

    • Acceleration frame
    • Lab frame
    • Moving frame
    • Rest frame

  3. What happens to the energy required to accelerate a particle as its speed approaches light speed?

    • Approaches infinity
    • Remains constant
    • Decreases to zero
    • Equals rest energy

  4. What relativistic effect allows cosmic-ray muons to reach the Earth's surface before decaying?

    • Length contraction
    • Time dilation
    • Doppler effect
    • Mass increase

  5. What property of high-energy particles allows them to resolve nucleon structure?

    • Slower decay rate
    • Greater electrical charge
    • Shorter de Broglie wavelength
    • Higher rest mass

  6. A muon has a rest lifetime of 2.2 microseconds and travels at 3.0 x 10^8 m s^-1. Ignoring relativistic effects, what distance would it travel in one rest lifetime?

    • About 0.66 m
    • About 66 m
    • About 660 m
    • About 6600 m

  7. What physical quantity increases indefinitely as a particle is accelerated closer to the speed of light?

    • Total energy
    • Rest mass
    • Proper time
    • Charge

  8. Which test best provides evidence for relativistic time dilation in muons?

    • Calculating rest mass
    • Counting total flux
    • Measuring net charge
    • Comparing decay rates

  9. A proton's energy increases from 10 GeV to 100 GeV. What happens to its speed?

    • Decreases slightly
    • Increases very slightly
    • Doubles in value
    • Increases ten times

  10. Why is the relativistic lifetime extension of fast particles important in detector design?

    • Reduced radiation loss
    • Weaker magnetic deflection
    • Measurable track lengths
    • Doubled particle mass

  11. When do relativistic effects like time dilation become significant for moving particles?

    • At room temperature
    • Near absolute zero
    • Near sound speed
    • Near light speed

  12. Muons detected at Earth's surface demonstrate which physics phenomenon?

    • Quantum entanglement
    • Gravitational red shift
    • Electromagnetic induction
    • Relativistic time dilation

  13. What physical principle causes observers to measure different particle lifetimes?

    • Length contraction
    • Mass increase
    • Redshift
    • Time dilation

  14. What effect does high-speed motion have on a particle's lifetime in the lab frame?

    • Stops decay
    • Decreases lifetime
    • No effect
    • Increases lifetime

  15. What happens if relativistic effects are ignored when calculating fast particle lifetimes?

    • Zero measured charge
    • Infinite particle mass
    • Incorrect lifetime predictions
    • Perfect energy conservation

  16. A muon has a rest lifetime of 2.2 microseconds and moves at 0.50c. Ignoring relativistic effects, how far does it travel in one rest lifetime?

    • About 3300 m
    • About 660 m
    • About 33 m
    • About 330 m

  17. If time dilation is ignored, how does the predicted travel distance of a fast muon compare to reality?

    • Much too short
    • Exactly identical
    • Slightly too long
    • Much too long

  18. A cosmic-ray muon with rest lifetime 2.2 microseconds is observed in the laboratory to last 22 microseconds. Roughly what is the ratio of the lab lifetime to the rest lifetime?

    • About 10
    • About 100
    • About 0.1
    • About 2

  19. What relativistic effect causes a moving particle's lifetime to appear extended in the lab?

    • Mass increase
    • Doppler shift
    • Time dilation
    • Length contraction

  20. How does the lab lifetime of a muon at 0.99c compare to its rest lifetime?

    • Exactly equal
    • Significantly shorter
    • Zero
    • Significantly longer

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