Solutions of the Ortvay Rudolf International Competition in Physics: Self-Observation in Space (2017/40 Problem)

Abstract

This paper is the second in a series of published solutions1 discussing problems of the Ortvay Rudolf international competition. The problem treated below is a simple exercise about grasping the fundamental aspects of a given phenomenon described within a qualitative “verbal” report and applying the principles learned in classical mechanics and geometric optics in order to explain its mechanism. The most important part of such problems is the interpretation of the phenomenon at hand, which naturally has a certain degree of vagueness, often allowing multiple scenarios. Similar tasks are often encountered, i.e. at the conceptual level of engineering and design. In this case, the problem can be interpreted most straightforwardly as the description of an optical phenomenon in which a free-falling observer sees (presumably) its own delayed optical image. Here, we will focus on one concrete solution, the calculation of which does not use mathematical techniques beyond those expected of first-year university students.