The first intergalactic spaceship is headed toward the Magellanic Clouds at a speed of 0.8c. The spaceship is 1 000 m long. Clocks at the front and the rear of the spaceship both read 3:00 P.M. Can it be 3:00 P.M. simultaneously at the front and the back of the spaceship?
A) No, because , where Δx is the length of the spaceship.
B) No, because one clock has to move after being synchronized with the other.
C) Yes, because Δx in (a) is zero for different points of the same spaceship.
D) Yes, because two clocks at rest relative to each other can be synchronized by means of light signals when the distance between them is known.
E) The question cannot be answered unless we know the object relative to which the spaceship's velocity is 0.8c.

Question

The first intergalactic spaceship is headed toward the Magellanic Clouds at a speed of 0.8c. The spaceship is 1 000 m long. Clocks at the front and the rear of the spaceship both read 3:00 P.M. Can it be 3:00 P.M. simultaneously at the front and the back of the spaceship?
A) No, because , where Δx is the length of the spaceship. 
B) No, because one clock has to move after being synchronized with the other. 
C) Yes, because Δx in (a) is zero for different points of the same spaceship. 
D) Yes, because two clocks at rest relative to each other can be synchronized by means of light signals when the distance between them is known. 
E) The question cannot be answered unless we know the object relative to which the spaceship's velocity is 0.8c.

Quizplus · Accepted Answer

The Answer of The first intergalactic spaceship is headed toward the Magellanic Clouds at a speed of 0.8c. The spaceship is 1 000 m long. Clocks at the front and the rear of the spaceship both read 3:00 P.M. Can it be 3:00 P.M. simultaneously at the front and the back of the spaceship?
A) No, because , where Δx is the length of the spaceship. 
B) No, because one clock has to move after being synchronized with the other. 
C) Yes, because Δx in (a) is zero for different points of the same spaceship. 
D) Yes, because two clocks at rest relative to each other can be synchronized by means of light signals when the distance between them is known. 
E) The question cannot be answered unless we know the object relative to which the spaceship's velocity is 0.8c.

The First Intergalactic Spaceship Is Headed Toward the Magellanic Clouds