- #1
Bill Foster
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A ship leaves Earth bound for a star 4.5 light-years away. According to the ship's clocks, the trip took 4.5 years. What was the velocity of the ship in the reference frame of the Earth?
I'm probably wrong, but I say v=c.
In the reference frame of the ship, the star is 4.5 light-years away and it is approaching you at some velocity v. If it takes 4.5 light-years to get to you, then it is approaching you at a velocity of c. The clocks outside the reference frame of the ship are going slower. In fact, they are stopped when v=c.
Using the Lorentz equations I alway have one more unknown than I have equations.
I'm probably wrong, but I say v=c.
In the reference frame of the ship, the star is 4.5 light-years away and it is approaching you at some velocity v. If it takes 4.5 light-years to get to you, then it is approaching you at a velocity of c. The clocks outside the reference frame of the ship are going slower. In fact, they are stopped when v=c.
Using the Lorentz equations I alway have one more unknown than I have equations.