Time Dilation on a Spaceship: Observing Earth's Clock at High Speeds

[Veronica_Oles]

Homework Statement

If someone on a spaceship looked at a clock on Earth traveling at 99.5% the speed of light what would they notice?

Homework Equations

The Attempt at a Solution

Would they notice that time is faster on earth? Is my assumption correct

 

[phinds]

Homework Statement

If someone on a spaceship looked at a clock on Earth traveling at 99.5% the speed of light what would they notice?

Homework Equations

The Attempt at a Solution

Would they notice that time is faster on earth? Is my assumption correct

Your question is rather poorly formed. Assuming that you meant that there is a spaceship approaching Earth at 99.5% of c, then what they would see with their eyes (via telescopes) is that clocks on Earth would be ticking faster than the ones on the ship.

 

[Veronica_Oles]

Your question is rather poorly formed. Assuming that you meant that there is a spaceship approaching Earth at 99.5% of c, then what they would see with their eyes (via telescopes) is that clocks on Earth would be ticking faster than the ones on the ship.

yes that's exactly what I meant. Sorry for my poor wording.!

 

[Chestermiller]

What assumption?

Are you familiar with the Lorentz Transformation?

 

[jbriggs444]

Assuming that you meant that there is a spaceship approaching Earth at 99.5% of c, then what they would see with their eyes (via telescopes) is that clocks on Earth would be ticking faster than the ones on the ship.

yes that's exactly what I meant. Sorry for my poor wording.!

If there is a spacecraft receding from Earth at 99.5% of c then they would see the clocks on Earth ticking more slowly than the ones on the ship.

But "how much faster?" and "how much slower?". That's where things start to get interesting.

 

[phinds]

@Veronica_Oles I think we may be confusing you because of language differences but when I went to look at your profile to confirm that you are not native to the US I was denied access. Really? You join a forum to ask questions but you don't want us to know about you?

That's your right of course but it seems self-defeating to me.