Question

A rocket flies toward the earth at 0.5c and the captain shines a laser light beam in the forward direction. part a which of the following statements about the speed of this light are correct? (there may be more than one correct answer.) check all that apply.

A The captain measures speed c for the light.
B An observer on earth measures speed c for the light.
C The captain measures speed 0.5c for the light.
D An observer on earth measures speed 1.5c for the light.

Answer 1

Both the captain of a spaceship moving at 0.5c and an observer on Earth will measure the speed of the laser light beam as c, the constant speed of light, according to the principles of special relativity.

Step-by-step explanation:

The question deals with the concept of the speed of light in special relativity. In special relativity, the speed of light in a vacuum is always measured to be the same value, c, regardless of the relative motion of the source and the observer. This is a postulate of Einstein's theory of relativity and has been experimentally confirmed.

For part A, the captain measures the speed of light to be c, which is the speed light always travels at in a vacuum, regardless of the motion of the light source. For part B, an observer on Earth also measures the speed of light to be c. According to special relativity, the speed of light is constant and does not get altered by the motion of the source or the observer. Therefore, the correct statements are:

A) The captain measures speed c for the light.
B) An observer on Earth measures speed c for the light.