- #1
Nick J Harris
- 3
- 0
I'm trying to solve this problem but I get a different answer depending on which observer I solve it for.
For the observer in the cloud, the parallel light has traveled 2.294cs, but this is only 0.23cs in front of the ship. 0.23 cs is only 0.086cs in the perspective of the ship due to length contraction.
But if you solve this for the observer on the ship, the light will have traveled 1cs in front of the ship and the cloud would have traveled 0.9 cs past it. A total length of 1.9cs into the cloud would have a relative length of 4.418 to the observer in the cloud. So when the vertical light strikes the ship is it 4.418cs or 2.294cs into the cloud?
But if you solve this for the observer on the ship, the light will have traveled 1cs in front of the ship and the cloud would have traveled 0.9 cs past it. A total length of 1.9cs into the cloud would have a relative length of 4.418 to the observer in the cloud. So when the vertical light strikes the ship is it 4.418cs or 2.294cs into the cloud?