Question

1)Imagine a train that is 400 meters long in its own inertial reference frame, and a railway platform is 320 meters long in its own inertial reference frame. The train speeds by the railway platform so fast that, in the platform's reference frame, both the train and platform are exactly the same length. Imagine that the platform station manager is standing exactly in the center of the platform as the train passes by. He notes two events: the engine (front) of the train leaves the station and the caboose (rear of the train) enters the station. Which of these two events happens first, from the station manager's perspective?

a. The engine leaves the station before the caboose enters it.

b. The engine leaves the station at exactly the same time as the caboose enters it.

c. The caboose enters the station before the engine leaves it.

2)

Considering the previous train question, what would an observer situated in the precise middle of the train see?

Select one:

a. The caboose enters before the engine leaves.

b. The caboose enters after the engine leaves.

c. The engine leaves at the same time as the caboose enters.

Answer 1