Section $2$ Events

We define an "event" as something that has zero width in both space and time. The physics building has "width in space" because it is $60$ m or so long. A physics class has a "width $($duration$)$ in time" of $55$ minutes rather than being at a single time.

Question $1$ For each of the following situations, circle whether the situation is or is not an event in the physics definition of the word.

The Woodstock music festival that occurred August $15-18,$ Event Not an $1969$ in Bethel, NY$.$

Saturday football games in the 'Shoe.

German heritage communities around the world celebrating Oktoberfest on Oct $1,2005.$

A firecracker exploding $50$ m above the center of the Broad St$.$ bridge on the $4^{th}$ of July last year. event

Event Not an event

Event Not an event

Event Not an event

We define an "intelligent observer" as one who can know the exact space and time coordinates for any event, even if it occurs very far away. You can imagine that intelligent observers have an infinite number of friends, all standing in a line and holding synchronized clocks. When any event occurs, only the friend in front of whom it occurred records the event, and he tells everyone else where and when it occurred.

Alternatively, a friendless but intelligent observer, when he "sees" something happen at a distance, realizes that it took some time for the information to get to him and subtracts that from the time that he saw the event. If he sees the sun explode at noon, he knows that it takes $8$ minutes for the light from the sun to reach him, and therefore the sun exploded at $11$:$52$ a$.$m$.$ He "sees" the sun explode at noon but "measures" or "observes" the sun exploding at $11$:$52$ a$.$m$.$ If $t=0$ at noon, then his value for when the sun exploded is $t=-8$ minutes.

Ned and Pam are "intelligent observers." All observers, unless stated otherwise, are assumed to be "intelligent observers."

Section $3$ Length

For the first test of their 'Relacars', Pam and Ned decide to take turns driving down the racetrack while the other person stands by the finish line.