Because of their short lifetimes,very few muons that are produced in the upper atmosphere at high speeds should be observed at the surface of the Earth.Yet we detect large numbers of muons at ground level because of
A)time dilation.
B)length contraction.
C)the equivalence of mass and energy.
D)the principle of relativity.
E)none of the above.

Question

Quizplus · Accepted Answer

Muons have a short lifetime, and their decay time can be measured in our frame of reference. However, due to their high speeds, time appears to slow down for muons as measured by an observer on the ground. This means that the muons can travel farther before decaying than they would if their clocks were not slowed down, allowing them to be detected at ground level. Time dilation is a consequence of the theory of relativity.

Because of Their Short Lifetimes,very Few Muons That Are Produced