Suppose a rocket is traveling through space and moving at a speed close to the speed of light. Three minutes pass on the rocket. For an observer on Earth, how many minutes passed on Earth?
Answer
A
three minutes because time is absolute
B
less than three minutes because of time dilation
C
less than or greater than three minutes depending on the speed
D
more than three minutes because of time dilation
Explanation
In special relativity, a moving clock is observed to run slower than a clock at rest in the observer’s frame. So if three minutes pass on the fast-moving rocket, more than three minutes pass for the Earth observer. The correct choice is “more than three minutes because of time dilation.”
AI-written and checked against the verified answer.