- #1
Barry Melby
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Homework Statement
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Assume that 437 days is a reasonable limit for how long a human can endure constant-velocity space travel. Proxima Centauri, the star closest to our Sun, is 4.24 light years away from Earth.
If you wanted to fly to Proxima Centauri within the 437-day limit in a rocket of mass 2.00×10^6 kg , how much energy would be required to accelerate the rocket to the necessary speed in the Earth reference frame? For this rough estimate, ignore the energy required to stop, and disregard the hundreds of days required at each end of the journey for acceleration.
Homework Equations
K = (1-y)mc^2
The Attempt at a Solution
I've tried to attempt this solution, but it seems impossible as you would have to travel faster than the speed of light to get there in 437 days. Where am I going wrong?