Question
One test of the validity of Einstein's Theory of Special Relativity is the measurement of muons on the surface of the Earth. Muon's are subatomic
One test of the validity of Einstein's Theory of Special Relativity is the measurement of muons on the surface of the Earth. Muon's are subatomic particles created in the upper atmosphere when air molecules react to high-energy cosmic rays. The lifetime of muons is only 1.5 s; during this brief moment, even travelling at the SOL, a muon could only traverse a distance of 500 m. Nevertheless, we do measure muons at the Earth's surface because they experience time dilation and length contraction.
If a muon is created 32 km above the Earth's surface, how long would it need to exist for (as measured by us) in order to be detected on Earth? Provide your answer to the nearest microsecond.
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