relativity question ( please help!?) (1 Viewer)

[nimanamjouyan]

Compared to an identical clock back on earth, which statement about a clock carried by astronauts in space is?

A. the clock will run faster, the faster the speed of the spaceship.
B. the clock will run slower, the faster the speed of the spaceship.
C. the clock will run at the same speed regardless of the speed of the spaceship.
D. the speed of the clock will depend on the earth's rotational speed.

Justify your answer.

 

[iMAN2]

Note that with these answers it hasn't shown from who's perspective these statements are being made (from earth or from the spaceship).

1:From a person on the earth the clock on the spaceship would run slower than theirs.
2: From a person on the spaceship, the clock on the spaceship would be running faster than those on earth.

So the faster the spaceship goes:
- the slower the clocks run on the spaceship as observed by people on earth.
- the slower the clocks run on earth as observerd by people on the spaceship which means that the clocks on the spaceship would be faster than on earth.

Thus we cannot select A or B as these are dependent on which observer these statements are being made from. C is false as the clocks will appear to be slower or faster if relative motion between spaceship and earth is varied, all that is needed is the location of the observer who is making the statements.

Thus D is the correct answer.
The earth's rotational speed (accelerating as a change of direction is occuring - circular motion) will effect the relative motion between the spaceship and the earth and thus it will effect the speed of the clocks, no matter where the observer is.