- #1
TheLil'Turkey
- 66
- 0
Homework Statement
A 35 m long rocket is receding at 0.6c. From the point of view of a stationary observer, how long does it take for light to travel (a) from the bottom of the rocket to the top and (b) from the top to the bottom?
Homework Equations
t = d/v
L = L0 / gamma
The Attempt at a Solution
a) L = 35 / gamma = 30.3 m
distance traveled by light = L + 0.6L + 0.6^2L + 0.6^3L + ... = 2.5L = 75.8 m
t = distance traveled by light/c = 2.5E-7 s
b) distance traveled by light = 1/(1 + 0.6)L = 18.9 m
t = distance traveled by light/c = 2.5E-7 s = 6.3E-8 s
Is this right? If not, please help me understand.