Final answer:
The Lorentz factor (γ) for a velocity of v=0.250c is calculated using the equation γ = 1 / √(1 - v^2/c^2), and the closest answer is a) 1.03.
Step-by-step explanation:
The student's question relates to the concept of Lorentz factor (γ) in the context of special relativity in physics. The Lorentz factor is a quantity that appears in several equations that describe how measurements of space and time by two observers are related to each other in special relativity, it expresses the factor by which time, length, and relativistic mass change for an object while that object is moving. The value of γ can be calculated using the equation γ = 1 / √(1 - v^2/c^2), where v is the relative velocity and c is the speed of light.
For the question about what γ is if v=0.250c, we can substitute the known values and compute the Lorentz factor. Here is the calculation:
γ = 1 / √(1 - (0.250c)^2/c^2) = 1 / √(1 - 0.0625) = 1 / √(0.9375) ≈ 1.0328.
Therefore, the closest answer to the calculated value of γ is a) 1.03.