Speed of Imperial Spaceship Relative to Arrakis: 0.964c

  • Thread starter Twigs
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In summary, an imperial spaceship traveling at high speed relative to the planet Arrakis fires a rocket with a speed of 0.930 c towards the planet. However, an observer on Arrakis measures the rocket's speed to be 0.330 c. To find the speed of the spaceship relative to Arrakis, the relativistic velocity-addition formula must be used, making sure to use the correct values for v and u. After careful calculations, the speed of the spaceship is determined to be approximately 0.964 c.
  • #1
Twigs
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An imperial spaceship, moving at high speed relative to the planet Arrakis, fires a rocket toward the planet with a speed of 0.930{\it c} relative to the spaceship. An observer on Arrakis measures that the rocket is approaching with a speed of 0.330{\it c}.

What is the speed of the spaceship relative to Arrakis?
i keep getting .964, can anyone help?
 
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  • #2
i use this: (v_1+u)/(1+v_1*u)
 
  • #3
Twigs said:
i use this: (v_1+u)/(1+v_1*u)

Show exactly how you used the above equation... show the substitutions.
 
  • #4
I am going to bed after this, I can give you a little advise before that though. You need to use the relativistic velocity-addition formulas. They are derived from the Lorentz transformation. I do not think that is the equation you showed in your second post. I am sure you can find the equation online or in you book.

good luck sorry I will not be awake to help more
 
  • #5
The equation is right, as long as you remember that you're using the ratio of speed to c. In other words if u=0.930c, you plug in 0.930 into the equation.
 
  • #6
Twigs said:
An imperial spaceship, moving at high speed relative to the planet Arrakis, fires a rocket toward the planet with a speed of 0.930{\it c} relative to the spaceship. An observer on Arrakis measures that the rocket is approaching with a speed of 0.330{\it c}.

What is the speed of the spaceship relative to Arrakis?
i keep getting .964, can anyone help?

You're doing a wrong substitution... draw a picture, and be careful about what you use for v and u. Are you using v to refer to the speed of the rocket relative to Arrakis, or the speed of the spaceship relative Arrakis. You can use both approaches, but you need to be careful with how you use u and v. Be careful of signs!
 
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What is the significance of the speed of an Imperial Spaceship relative to Arrakis being 0.964c?

The speed of an object is a measure of how fast it is moving. In this case, the speed of an Imperial Spaceship relative to Arrakis being 0.964c means that it is traveling at 0.964 times the speed of light. This is an incredibly high speed and would allow the spaceship to travel vast distances in a short amount of time.

How is the speed of an Imperial Spaceship relative to Arrakis calculated?

The speed of an object can be calculated using the formula v = d/t, where v is velocity (speed), d is distance, and t is time. In this case, the distance and time are measured relative to Arrakis, hence the term "relative" in the speed measurement.

What is the maximum speed at which an Imperial Spaceship can travel?

The maximum speed at which an object can travel is the speed of light, which is approximately 299,792,458 meters per second. Therefore, an Imperial Spaceship traveling at 0.964c is moving at a very high speed, but it is still not reaching the maximum speed possible.

Why is the speed of an Imperial Spaceship relative to Arrakis important?

The speed of an Imperial Spaceship relative to Arrakis is important because it affects the ship's ability to reach its destination in a timely manner. The faster the spaceship can travel, the shorter the travel time will be. This is especially important when traveling long distances in space.

Can the speed of an Imperial Spaceship relative to Arrakis be increased?

In theory, the speed of an object can be increased by using external forces such as propulsion systems. However, increasing the speed of an object to the speed of light requires an infinite amount of energy, which is currently not possible with our current technology. Therefore, it is unlikely that the speed of an Imperial Spaceship relative to Arrakis can be increased beyond 0.964c.

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