Question

Two asteroids head straight for Earth from the same direction. Their speeds relative to Earth are 0.81c for asteroid 1 and 0.59 for asteroid 2.Find the speed of asteroid 1 relative to asteroid 2.Wouldn't it be v=.22?

Answer 1

Answer:No, the calculation you provided is incorrect. To find the relative speed of asteroid 1 with respect to asteroid 2, we need to use the relativistic velocity addition formula:

v = (v1 - v2) / (1 - v1*v2/c^2)

where v1 is the velocity of asteroid 1 relative to Earth, v2 is the velocity of asteroid 2 relative to Earth, and c is the speed of light.

Substituting the given values, we get:

v = (0.81c - 0.59c) / (1 - 0.81c * 0.59c / c^2)

v = 0.22c / (1 - 0.48)

v = 0.42c

Therefore, the speed of asteroid 1 relative to asteroid 2 is 0.42 times the speed of light (c).

Step-by-step explanation: