A spacecraft is travelling at a constant speed of 0.60c relative to the Moon - Scottish Highers Physics - Question 7 - 2015
Question 7
A spacecraft is travelling at a constant speed of 0.60c relative to the Moon.
An observer on the Moon measures the length of the moving spacecraft to be 190 m.
The l... show full transcript
Worked Solution & Example Answer:A spacecraft is travelling at a constant speed of 0.60c relative to the Moon - Scottish Highers Physics - Question 7 - 2015
Step 1
Determine Length Contraction Formula
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Answer
To find the length of the spacecraft as measured by an astronaut on board, we will use the length contraction formula from Einstein's theory of relativity:
L′=L1−c2v2
where:
L′ is the proper length (length as measured by the astronaut on the spacecraft),
L is the length measured by the observer on the Moon,
v is the speed of the spacecraft, and
c is the speed of light.
Step 2
Calculate Length Using Given Values
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Answer
Substituting the known values:
L=190m (length measured by the observer on the Moon)
v=0.60c
Now substituting these values into the length contraction formula:
L′=1901−(0.60)2
Calculating (0.60)2=0.36 and then:
L′=1901−0.36L′=1900.64L′=190×0.8L′=152m
Step 3
Select the Correct Answer
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Answer
Thus, the length of the spacecraft as measured by the astronaut on the spacecraft is 152 m, which corresponds to option B.
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