A spaceship approaching an asteroid at a speed of 0.60c launches a scout rocket with speed 0.40c relative to the spaceship. At what speed is the scout rocket approaching the asteroid?
A) 1.0c
B) 0.64c
C) 0.96c
D) 0.76c
E) 0.81c

Question

Quizplus · Accepted Answer

Using the relativistic velocity addition formula: v = (v1 + v2) / (1 + v1*v2/c^2), where v1 = 0.60c and v2 = 0.40c, the speed of the scout rocket relative to the asteroid is 0.81c.

A Spaceship Approaching an Asteroid at a Speed of 0