Relativity With velocity of objects moving in different fram

AI Thread Summary
The discussion revolves around a physics problem involving two spaceships moving at the same velocity and the firing of a missile from one ship. The user attempts to solve for the distance between the two ships in the police ship's frame and the missile's trajectory. They apply length contraction and Lorentz transformations, concluding that the distance in the police ship's frame is 5/4 light-seconds and calculating the missile's position and time of impact. A suggestion is made to verify the solution by analyzing the problem from the unprimed frame. The conversation emphasizes the importance of including units in the final answers for clarity.
David0709
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Homework Statement


  1. i)A police spaceship P is chasing another spaceship A. Both ships have velocities βP = βA = 3c/5 as measured along the x-axis in the Solar System reference frame O. The police ship is a distance L = 1 light-second (i.e. the distance traveled by light in one second) behind ship A. What is this distance in the frame of the police ship O′?

    ii)The police ship fires a missile at speed βM′ = 4c/5 at time t′ = 0 and position x′ = 0 as measured in the police spaceship frame O′. When and where does the missile reach ship A, as measured in frame O?

    Really I am interested to see If my solution is correct and if not where i went wrong.

Homework Equations


t′ =γ(ct−βx), x′ =γ(x−βct), y′ =y, z′ =z And all inverses as well

D = s * t
γ = 5/4 (if you calculate it)

The Attempt at a Solution


i) I believe that length contraction is a valid way to proceed and in the frame of the solar system since it is moving relative to observer it will be not proper length while in frame O' it is proper length hence in O' it should be 5/4 light second

ii) Since moving at same speed and using addictive relativistic formula the relative velocity is zero between the two objects and in frame O' they are separated at 5C/4 and the rocket being fired relative to police spaceship is 4c/5 hence the time taken in frame O' , t' = 25/16 and x' = 5c/4

Using the inverse lorentz equation (to convert position in frame O' to O) we see that x = 175c/64 and t = 185/64

Please could anyone let me know if the above is correct?
Thanks
 
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Looks good except for the lack of units on your answers.

You could check your answers by solving the problem in the unprimed frame by calculating the speed of the missile in the unprimed frame and then solving for when it'll catch up to the moving ship A.
 
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