When your friend flies by you in a spaceship at one half the speed of light, you observe:

a. Her spaceship to be longer than it is when it is not moving relative to you. b. Her spaceship to be shorter than it is when it is not moving relative to you. c. Her spaceship to be the same length, regardless of its speed relative to you.

Question

Cheyanne Simpson

Physics

20 February, 10:52

When your friend flies by you in a spaceship at one half the speed of light, you observe:

a. Her spaceship to be longer than it is when it is not moving relative to you. b. Her spaceship to be shorter than it is when it is not moving relative to you. c. Her spaceship to be the same length, regardless of its speed relative to you.

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Answers (1)

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Thumper · Answer 1

b. Her spaceship to be shorter than it is when it is not moving relative to you.

Explanation:

Contraction of length is a physical phenomenon, whereby the length of a moving object in relation to an observer is shorter than its length measured in its own resting frame of reference. This contraction is only noticeable when an object moves at a substantial fraction of the speed of light and only occurs in the direction in which the object travels.