How should Simon use the theory of relativity to
describe what the astronaut must do in order to hit the
button?
Simon is writing a story about an astronaut whose
spacecraft has been boarded by space pirates. The
astronaut has her lucky penny in her hand behind her
back as the space pirates break into the control room.
She has just locked the controls so that the ship is
accelerating in the direction of the control room's
ceiling. Simon wants the astronaut to use the penny to
hit a button on the control panel to turn off the lights
and escape. The button is located a short distance
behind and below the astronaut's hands.
O The astronaut should toss the penny straight up as
it will appear to fall in an arc because objects in an
accelerating frame of reference behave in the same
way as they would in a gravity field.
O The astronaut should just let the penny go, as the
control panel will accelerate upward and curve
toward the astronaut because there is no gravity
field
O The astronaut should toss the penny horizontally
straight behind her as it will appear to fall in an arc
because objects in an accelerating frame of
reference behave in the same way as they would in
a gravity field.
The astronaut should toss the