At what (relativistic) speed does the length of a spacecraft become half of its rest length?
A) 0.40c
B) 0.27c
C) 0.99c
D) 0.87c
E) 0.10c

Name: At what (relativistic) speed does the length of a spacecraft become half of its rest length? A) 0.40c B) 0.27c C) 0.99c D) 0.87c E) 0.10c
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Question

Quizplus · Accepted Answer

The length contraction formula is L = L0 * sqrt(1 - v^2/c^2). To make L = 0.5 * L0, solve for v: 0.5 = sqrt(1 - v^2/c^2). Solving gives v ≈ 0.87c.

At What (Relativistic) Speed Does the Length of a Spacecraft