A spaceship carrying a light clock moves at a speed of 0.96 c relative to an observer on Earth. Relative to a frame of reference that is fixed with respect to the earth, how long does it take the clock to advance 1 s?
A)5.83 s
B)3.57 s
C)0.96 s
D)1.22 s
E)2.59 s

Question

Quizplus · Accepted Answer

Due to time dilation, the time observed on Earth is longer than the time on the spaceship. The time dilation factor is given by the Lorentz factor: γ = 1/√(1-v²/c²). For v = 0.96c, γ ≈ 3.57. Thus, 1 second on the spaceship corresponds to approximately 3.57 seconds on Earth.

A Spaceship Carrying a Light Clock Moves at a Speed