A bomb is attached to a timer and set to explode after exactly 10 seconds. This bomb is launched at half the speed of light relative to an observer. How much time will pass for the observer before the bomb explodes?
A) less than 10 seconds
B) more than 10 seconds
C) exactly 10 seconds
D) This is impossible to answer, as it depends on the direction in which the bomb is launched.

Question

Quizplus · Accepted Answer

Due to the effects of time dilation as described by Einstein's theory of relativity, time will appear to pass more slowly for objects moving at a significant fraction of the speed of light relative to an observer. Therefore, the observer will see the bomb's timer take more than 10 seconds to reach zero.

A Bomb Is Attached to a Timer and Set to Explode