Physics Exam  >  Physics Questions  >  An astronaut moves in a super spaceship trave... Start Learning for Free
An astronaut moves in a super spaceship travelling at a speed of 0.8C. The astronaut observes a photon approaching him from space. The speed of photon with respect to the astronaut is
  • a)
    1.8C
  • b)
    C
  • c)
    0.2 C
  • d)
    0.9 C
Correct answer is option 'B'. Can you explain this answer?
Verified Answer
An astronaut moves in a super spaceship travelling at a speed of 0.8C....
Speed of photon = C 
Speed of astronaut = 0.8C
Let the photon and astronauts super spaceship moving along positive and negative direction of x - axis respectively.
Let the electron moving with velocity - 0.8C.
We know from addition of velocity the x - component of velocity in moving from is

View all questions of this test
Most Upvoted Answer
An astronaut moves in a super spaceship travelling at a speed of 0.8C....
Explanation:
When an astronaut is moving in a spaceship at a high speed, we need to consider the principles of special relativity to determine the speed of a photon as observed by the astronaut.

Speed of Light:
According to Einstein's theory of special relativity, the speed of light in a vacuum is constant and is denoted by 'c'. It is approximately equal to 299,792,458 meters per second. This means that the speed of light is the same for all observers, regardless of their relative motion.

Relative Velocity:
When two objects are moving relative to each other, their velocities can be added using the relativistic velocity addition formula:

v' = (v + u) / (1 + (vu/c^2))

Where:
v' is the relative velocity of the photon as observed by the astronaut,
v is the velocity of the photon relative to the observer in space,
u is the velocity of the observer (astronaut) relative to the spaceship, and
c is the speed of light.

Applying the Formula:
In this scenario, the velocity of the photon relative to the observer in space (v) is equal to the speed of light (c) because light travels at the speed of light in a vacuum.

The velocity of the astronaut relative to the spaceship (u) is given as 0.8c, which means the astronaut is moving at 0.8 times the speed of light.

Using the velocity addition formula, we can calculate the relative velocity of the photon as observed by the astronaut:

v' = (c + 0.8c) / (1 + (0.8c * c) / c^2)
= 1.8c / (1 + 0.8)
= 1.8c / 1.8
= c

Therefore, the speed of the photon as observed by the astronaut is equal to the speed of light (c). This means that option 'B' is the correct answer.
Explore Courses for Physics exam

Similar Physics Doubts

An astronaut moves in a super spaceship travelling at a speed of 0.8C. The astronaut observes a photon approaching him from space. The speed of photon with respect to the astronaut isa)1.8Cb)Cc)0.2 Cd)0.9 CCorrect answer is option 'B'. Can you explain this answer?
Question Description
An astronaut moves in a super spaceship travelling at a speed of 0.8C. The astronaut observes a photon approaching him from space. The speed of photon with respect to the astronaut isa)1.8Cb)Cc)0.2 Cd)0.9 CCorrect answer is option 'B'. Can you explain this answer? for Physics 2024 is part of Physics preparation. The Question and answers have been prepared according to the Physics exam syllabus. Information about An astronaut moves in a super spaceship travelling at a speed of 0.8C. The astronaut observes a photon approaching him from space. The speed of photon with respect to the astronaut isa)1.8Cb)Cc)0.2 Cd)0.9 CCorrect answer is option 'B'. Can you explain this answer? covers all topics & solutions for Physics 2024 Exam. Find important definitions, questions, meanings, examples, exercises and tests below for An astronaut moves in a super spaceship travelling at a speed of 0.8C. The astronaut observes a photon approaching him from space. The speed of photon with respect to the astronaut isa)1.8Cb)Cc)0.2 Cd)0.9 CCorrect answer is option 'B'. Can you explain this answer?.
Solutions for An astronaut moves in a super spaceship travelling at a speed of 0.8C. The astronaut observes a photon approaching him from space. The speed of photon with respect to the astronaut isa)1.8Cb)Cc)0.2 Cd)0.9 CCorrect answer is option 'B'. Can you explain this answer? in English & in Hindi are available as part of our courses for Physics. Download more important topics, notes, lectures and mock test series for Physics Exam by signing up for free.
Here you can find the meaning of An astronaut moves in a super spaceship travelling at a speed of 0.8C. The astronaut observes a photon approaching him from space. The speed of photon with respect to the astronaut isa)1.8Cb)Cc)0.2 Cd)0.9 CCorrect answer is option 'B'. Can you explain this answer? defined & explained in the simplest way possible. Besides giving the explanation of An astronaut moves in a super spaceship travelling at a speed of 0.8C. The astronaut observes a photon approaching him from space. The speed of photon with respect to the astronaut isa)1.8Cb)Cc)0.2 Cd)0.9 CCorrect answer is option 'B'. Can you explain this answer?, a detailed solution for An astronaut moves in a super spaceship travelling at a speed of 0.8C. The astronaut observes a photon approaching him from space. The speed of photon with respect to the astronaut isa)1.8Cb)Cc)0.2 Cd)0.9 CCorrect answer is option 'B'. Can you explain this answer? has been provided alongside types of An astronaut moves in a super spaceship travelling at a speed of 0.8C. The astronaut observes a photon approaching him from space. The speed of photon with respect to the astronaut isa)1.8Cb)Cc)0.2 Cd)0.9 CCorrect answer is option 'B'. Can you explain this answer? theory, EduRev gives you an ample number of questions to practice An astronaut moves in a super spaceship travelling at a speed of 0.8C. The astronaut observes a photon approaching him from space. The speed of photon with respect to the astronaut isa)1.8Cb)Cc)0.2 Cd)0.9 CCorrect answer is option 'B'. Can you explain this answer? tests, examples and also practice Physics tests.
Explore Courses for Physics exam
Signup for Free!
Signup to see your scores go up within 7 days! Learn & Practice with 1000+ FREE Notes, Videos & Tests.
10M+ students study on EduRev