Question

A starship moving at 0.85c travels from Earth to the Wolf-359 system, 7.9 light years away. How long will the trip take according to a) Earth’s clocks? b) the starship’s clocks? c) How far is it from Earth to the star according to the starship’s crew? d) What do they compute their speed to be?

Answer 1

Solution :

b (a) Time Actual distance between the earth & Wolf-359 do= 7.9 light years = 729x9.46x10's m → do = 7.47x1016 speed of the starship = v=0-85c. Time taken for the trip acco reding to the earth's clocks do to 7-47x1096 0.85 7.47x1016 2-93x108 s 0.85 3x10 mis mi m tl 8

b) 8 |-0-852 (@) According to the starship clocks, time taken for the frip will be less them the actual time, due to time dilation theory in special relativity of will be equal to to di v v2 2-93xlos. ş) t (1.54 x 108 The distance betroben the earth & the star will be greater to the starship's crow, than it actually is, according to the bength contraction theory in special relativity, and this length is equal to : a = 7.4781016 m TT-0-85 > d=11.4201017 (2) Thus, the speed of the starship, according to it crew son 1.42 xlolt 9.22*108 m/s t 1.54*108s do 11-12