Samus is exploring the planet Zebes in the star system Metroid Prime (where the laws of physics are the same as on Earth and in our universe) in a ship moving at constant velocity. She turns on her headlamps as she encounters some strange fog. Ridley, the villain lying in wait, is at rest with respect to Samus. The speed of the light from Samus's headlamps as measured by Ridley depends most

importantly on

the speed of Samus's ship
the speed of light in the fog
the speed of Samus with respect to the ether
the total addition of speeds of Samus's ship, the planet Zebes, and the system Metroid Prime
the speed of light in a vacuum


The speed of propagation of any wave through a medium depends most importantly on the medium itself. All observers measure the speed of light to be the same in inertial frames, and since both Samus and Ridley are in the same medium, they should measure the same speed of light.

Physics & Space Science

You might also like to view...

Which of the following is not an arrangement of atoms or molecules on the mers of a LCM?

(a) Isotactic (b) Syndiotactic (c) Atactic (d) Polytactic

Physics & Space Science

Energy and Mass: If a typical city consumes electrical energy at a rate of 2.0 GW, how many kilograms of matter would have to be converted entirely into electrical energy in order to keep this city running for 14 weeks? (c = 3.0 × 108 m/s)

A. 0.19 kg B. 0.21 kg C. 0.26 kg D. 0.32 kg

Physics & Space Science

A car is going past a radio station at a speed of 40.0 m/s. If the radio station broadcasts at a frequency of 74.5 MHz, what change in frequency does the driver observe?

A) 9.93 Hz B) 99.3 Hz C) 993 Hz D) 7.45 Hz E) 74.5 Hz

Physics & Space Science

How do head-tail radio galaxies reveal their motion?

What will be an ideal response?

Physics & Space Science