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written by
Tevian Dray
published by the Paradigms in Physics Program
This small group activity is designed to help upper division undergraduate students work out the lifetime of cosmic rays taking relativistic effects into account. Students work in small groups and use hyperbolic trigonometry and spacetime diagrams to calculate the lifetime of incoming cosmic rays. The entire class wrap-up discussion summarizes group findings and difficulties, helping students gain a geometric perspective of time dilation and length contraction.
This material is part of the Paradigms in Physics project at Oregon State University. This work promotes the use of active student learning in upper division physics courses. Both learning materials and learning strategies are provided to help both students and instructors.
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![]() <a href="https://www.compadre.org/relativity/items/detail.cfm?ID=13600">Dray, Tevian. Paradigms in Physics: Cosmic Rays. Corvallis: Paradigms in Physics Program, August 23, 2013.</a>
![]() T. Dray, (Paradigms in Physics Program, Corvallis, 2008), WWW Document, (http://sites.science.oregonstate.edu/portfolioswiki/activities_guides_rfcosmic.html).
![]() T. Dray, Paradigms in Physics: Cosmic Rays (Paradigms in Physics Program, Corvallis, 2008), <http://sites.science.oregonstate.edu/portfolioswiki/activities_guides_rfcosmic.html>.
![]() Dray, T. (2013, August 23). Paradigms in Physics: Cosmic Rays. Retrieved February 11, 2025, from Paradigms in Physics Program: http://sites.science.oregonstate.edu/portfolioswiki/activities_guides_rfcosmic.html
![]() Dray, Tevian. Paradigms in Physics: Cosmic Rays. Corvallis: Paradigms in Physics Program, August 23, 2013. http://sites.science.oregonstate.edu/portfolioswiki/activities_guides_rfcosmic.html (accessed 11 February 2025).
![]() Dray, Tevian. Paradigms in Physics: Cosmic Rays. Corvallis: Paradigms in Physics Program, 2008. 23 Aug. 2013. 11 Feb. 2025 <http://sites.science.oregonstate.edu/portfolioswiki/activities_guides_rfcosmic.html>.
![]() @misc{
Author = "Tevian Dray",
Title = {Paradigms in Physics: Cosmic Rays},
Publisher = {Paradigms in Physics Program},
Volume = {2025},
Number = {11 February 2025},
Month = {August 23, 2013},
Year = {2008}
}
![]() %A Tevian Dray %T Paradigms in Physics: Cosmic Rays %D August 23, 2013 %I Paradigms in Physics Program %C Corvallis %U http://sites.science.oregonstate.edu/portfolioswiki/activities_guides_rfcosmic.html %O text/html ![]() %0 Electronic Source %A Dray, Tevian %D August 23, 2013 %T Paradigms in Physics: Cosmic Rays %I Paradigms in Physics Program %V 2025 %N 11 February 2025 %8 August 23, 2013 %9 text/html %U http://sites.science.oregonstate.edu/portfolioswiki/activities_guides_rfcosmic.html Disclaimer: ComPADRE offers citation styles as a guide only. We cannot offer interpretations about citations as this is an automated procedure. Please refer to the style manuals in the Citation Source Information area for clarifications.
Citation Source Information
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