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dakillerfishy
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[SOLVED] Relativity and the twin paradox
A friend of yours who is the same age as you travels to the star Alph Centauri, which is 4 light years away, and returns immediately. He claims that the entire trip took just 5 years. How fast did he travel?
Time dialation: [tex]\Delta[/tex]t = [tex]\gamma[/tex][tex]\Delta[/tex]t'
Length contraction: L = Lp/[tex]\gamma[/tex]
where Lp is the proper length and gamma is:
[tex]\gamma[/tex] = 1/[tex]\sqrt{1-(v^2/c^2)}[/tex]
I know that the twin paradox utilizes both time dilation and length contraction, but I'm stuck as to how to account for both.
Thanks in advance! =)
Homework Statement
A friend of yours who is the same age as you travels to the star Alph Centauri, which is 4 light years away, and returns immediately. He claims that the entire trip took just 5 years. How fast did he travel?
Homework Equations
Time dialation: [tex]\Delta[/tex]t = [tex]\gamma[/tex][tex]\Delta[/tex]t'
Length contraction: L = Lp/[tex]\gamma[/tex]
where Lp is the proper length and gamma is:
[tex]\gamma[/tex] = 1/[tex]\sqrt{1-(v^2/c^2)}[/tex]
The Attempt at a Solution
I know that the twin paradox utilizes both time dilation and length contraction, but I'm stuck as to how to account for both.
Thanks in advance! =)
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