Suppose a spaceship of length L 0 travels at a high speed v relative to an observer.

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Suppose a spaceship of length L0 travels at a high speed v relative to an observer. To the observer, the ship appears to have a smaller length given by the Lorentz contraction formula

L= LoV


where c is the speed of light.

a. What is the observed length L of the ship if it is traveling at 50% of the speed of light?

b. What is the observed length L of the ship if it is traveling at 75% of the speed of light?

c. In parts (a) and (b), what happens to L as the speed of the ship increases?

d. Find limv→c- L0 √1 - v2/c2 and explain the significance of this limit.

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Calculus Early Transcendentals

ISBN: 978-0321947345

2nd edition

Authors: William L. Briggs, Lyle Cochran, Bernard Gillett

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