A spaceship is moving between two distant stars at 0.932 c.To someone in the ship,the distance between the two stars appears to be 26.4 ly.What is the distance between the stars in the stars' rest frame?
A)72.8 ly
B)9.57 ly
C)21.1 ly
D)55.4 ly

Question

Quizplus · Accepted Answer

The distance in the stars' rest frame is longer due to length contraction experienced by the observer in the spaceship. Using the formula L = L₀√(1-v²/c²), where L is the contracted length (26.4 ly), L₀ is the proper length, and v is the velocity (0.932c), we find L₀ = 72.8 ly.

A Spaceship Is Moving Between Two Distant Stars at 0