Flashing light beacon from Earth reaching spaceship moving away at 0.75c

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SUMMARY

The discussion focuses on calculating the time it takes for light flashes emitted from Earth to reach a spaceship traveling away at 0.75c, utilizing kinematics rather than relativity. Key points include the use of a Minkowski diagram to visualize the scenario, where a flash emitted at Earth at t=0 travels at speed c, reaching the ship at specific intervals. For example, a flash emitted at t=1 reaches the ship at t=4, and one emitted at t=2 arrives at t=8. This approach simplifies the problem by avoiding complex relativistic calculations.

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New user has been reminded to please always show their work on schoolwork problems.
Homework Statement
You are on a spacecraft traveling away from the earth at 0.75 c. A beacon on earth flashes exactly once per second.

From the point of view of a person on earth, what is the time between one flash reaching your ship and the next?
Answer- 4 seconds
From your point of view, what is the time between one flash reaching your ship and the next?
Answer 2.6 seconds

No matter how I solve it I do not get the answers mastering physics says are correct. Any ideas?
Relevant Equations
Speed of light constant 3x10^8
Below
IMG_2838.jpeg
 
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IMG_2841.jpeg
 
IMG_2841.jpeg
 
neelbansal123 said:
Part A asks about the earth time of the flashes reaching your ship.
You don't need relativity to answer it. Just kinematics.
 
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Hill said:
You don't need relativity to answer it. Just kinematics.
What might help is a diagram (see Minkowski diagram) like this:

1712831602606.png

(everything in seconds):
Flash emitted at earth t=0 has ##x = ct##,
Flash emitted at earth t=1 reaches ship at t=4,
Flash emitted at earth t=2 arrives at t=8 etc.

##\ ##
 
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