Suppose that a ship is accelerating through space in such a way that the passengers are experiencing a constant force (due to the thrust of the ship)equivalent to the total weight of the ship and passengers on Earth.From the point of view of observers on Earth,how does the ship accelerate?
A)It has a constant acceleration of 9.8 m/s²,therefore increasing its speed by 9.8 m/s with each passing second.
B)At first,it has a nearly constant acceleration of 9.8 m/ s².But as it approaches the speed of light,its acceleration gradually slows in such a way that it never stops accelerating,but never reaches the speed of light either.
C)At first,it has a very large acceleration-much larger than 9.8 m/s².But when it reaches the speed of light it stops accelerating.
D)It has a constant acceleration of 9.8 m/s² until it reaches a speed of half the speed of light.Then its acceleration suddenly slows so that it can't go much faster.

Question

Quizplus · Accepted Answer

The correct answer is B because, according to the theory of relativity, as an object approaches the speed of light, its mass effectively increases, requiring more force to continue accelerating. This results in a scenario where the acceleration from the perspective of an outside observer (like someone on Earth) decreases as the speed increases, preventing the object from ever reaching the speed of light.

Suppose That a Ship Is Accelerating Through Space in Such