How Much Mass Converts to Energy to Accelerate the Enterprise to 0.1c?

AI Thread Summary
The discussion focuses on calculating the mass needed to convert into energy to accelerate the fictional starship Enterprise to 0.1c. The Enterprise's mass is approximately 5 X 10^9 kg, and the relevant equation is E=mc². A participant initially struggles with the energy calculation but ultimately finds the solution independently. The answer is determined to be 2.5 X 10^7 kg of mass required for the acceleration. The conversation highlights the application of theoretical physics in a fictional context.
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The fictional starship Enterprise obtains power by combining matter and antimatter, achieving complete conversion of mass into energy. If the mass of Enterprise is approximately 5 X 109 kg, how much mass must be converted into kinetic energy to accelerate it from rest to one tenth the speed of light?

of course, E=mc2 but I don't have the energy so I can't solve for m? What other ways can I approach this problem

the answer in the back of the book is 2.5 X 107 kg
 
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nevermind! totally solved my own problem!
 

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