If we assume that a spaceship could accelerate from rest at a constant rate of 9.81 m/s², then how long would it take to reach 1% of the speed of light? Assume the speed of light = 3.0 *10⁸ m/s.) A) 1.8 days B) 3.5 days C) 8.6 h D) 1.5 days E) 7.1 days

Question

Quizplus · Accepted Answer

We can use the equation: 
v = at
where v is the final velocity, a is the acceleration, and t is the time. 
We want to solve for t when v = 0.01c (1% of the speed of light), so we have: 
0.01c = (9.81 m/s^2)t 
Solving for t: 
t = 0.01c/9.81 m/s^2 
t = (0.01 x 3.0 x 10^8 m/s) / 9.81 m/s^2 
t ≈ 305,810 seconds 
Converting to days: 
t ≈ 305,810 seconds x (1 min/60 seconds) x (1 hour/60 min) x (1 day/24 hours) 
t ≈ 3.54 days 
Therefore, the answer is B) 3.5 days.

If We Assume That a Spaceship Could Accelerate from Rest