A rocket ship flies past the earth at 88.0 % of the speed of light. Inside, an a

Question

A rocket ship flies past the earth at 88.0 % of the speed of light. Inside, an astronaut who is undergoing a physical examination is having his height measured while he is lying down parallel to the direction the rocket ship is moving.

A) If his height is measured to be 1.96 m by his doctor inside the ship, what height would a person watching this from earth measure for his height?

Answer: h=0.931 m

B) If the earth-based person had measured 1.96 m , what would the doctor in the spaceship have measured for the astronaut's height?

Answer: h= 4.13 m

C) Is this a reasonable height? Answer: no

D) Suppose the astronaut in part (a) gets up after the examination and stands with his body perpendicular to the direction of motion. What would the doctor in the rocket measure for his height now?

E) What would the observer on earth measure for his height now?

* I need help in part D and E only

Explanation / Answer

Note that = 1/(1-0.88^2) = 2.105

(a) l = l0/ = 1.96/2.105 = 0.931 m.
(b) l = 1.96 m = l0/ l0 = 4.126 m. The basketball hoop is only chest high to this character.
(c) No
(d and e) Both the onboard doctor and Earth observer would agree that his height is 1.96 m

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