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Introductory Physics Homework Help
Finding the relativistic speed of a spacecraft
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[QUOTE="insipiens, post: 5923762, member: 639219"] [h2]Homework Statement [/h2] If a spacecraft is traveling to a star which is located at a distance of 1 lightyear and it would take the spacecraft 1 year to reach the star in its own frame, how fast would the spacecraft actually fly? Also, how long would the journey take for an observer on Earth (t_e)? t_sc = 1 y L_e = 1 ly t_e = ? [h2]Homework Equations[/h2] gamma = 1/sqrt(1-v^2/c^2) beta = v^2/c^2 t_sc = t_e / gamma L_sc = L_e /gamma [h2]The Attempt at a Solution[/h2] I would start by saying that the L_e = v * t_e (v = the velocity). After throwing everything around, I get that the speed should be 25% of the speed of light, which I don't actually think is correct. My calculations so far: L_e = t_e * v = t_sc *v *gamma L_e / t_sc = c = v * gamma 1/gamma^2 = beta^2 1-beta^2 = beta^2 --> beta = 1/4 Hence the time on Earth should be 4 years. Thanks for everyone willing to help me! Cheers, Merlin [/QUOTE]
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Introductory Physics Homework Help
Finding the relativistic speed of a spacecraft
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