Astronaut Jill leaves Earth in a spaceship and is now traveling at a speed of 0.280c relative to an observer on Earth. When Jill left Earth, the spaceship was equipped with all kinds of scientific
Instruments, including a meter stick. Now that Jill is underway, how long does she measure the
Meter stick to be?
A) 1.04 m
B) 1.28 m
C) 1.00 m
D) 0.960 m
E) 0.280 m

Question

Quizplus · Accepted Answer

Jill, being in the same inertial frame as the meter stick (both are moving at the same velocity relative to an observer on Earth), would measure the meter stick to be its proper length, which is 1.00 m. Length contraction is observed by an observer in a different inertial frame, not by someone moving with the object.

Astronaut Jill Leaves Earth in a Spaceship and Is Now