[Punkanzee]

Rocket A and Rocket B are traveling next to each other in a straight path away from the earth. Both rockets are so far from earth that the affects of gravity are negligible, we only need an arbitrary reference point in space.

Both rockets are initially moving at 10 m/s away from the earth and the mass of each rocket is 20 kg.

The equation for kinetic energy is given by 1/2 x mass x velocity^2. Thus an observer on earth, the kinetic energy of each rocket is 1/2 x 20 x 10^2 = 1000 joules. From Rocket A's perspective, Rocket B has 0 kinetic energy because the two are moving side by side at the same rate. The reverse is true of Rocket A from Rocket B's perspective. As you can see kinetic energy for is completely frame-dependent.

We need Rocket A to accelerate to 20 m/s from earth's perspective. Rocket A going 20 m/s would have 1/2 x 20 x 20^2 = 4000 joules and since it has 1000 joules already it is assumed that 3000 more joules is all that is required in order to accelerate Rocket A from 10 m/s to 20 m/s.

However, 20 m/s on earth translates to 10 m/s from Rocket B's perspective. We have already calculated that 1000 joules is the kinetic energy of Rocket A going 10 m/s and thus it is assumed that 1000 joules is all that is required to accelerate Rocket A from 0 m/s to 10 m/s.

Imagine that Rocket A can absorb microwave energy and convert it into electricity and the electricity is used to power an ion propulsion system to accelerate Rocket A. Assume all transfers of energy are 100% efficient. Earth and Rocket B are capable of emitting microwave energy to Rocket A in any amount necessary.

The earth fires a 3000 watt microwave laser to Rocket A for one second in the expectation that Rocket A should be able to accelerate to 20 m/s from it.

Or

Rocket B fires a 1000 watt microwave laser to Rocket A for one second in the expectation that Rocket A should be able to accelerate to 10 m/s from it.

Rocket B can also absorb microwave energy and store the energy but it doesn't have an ion propulsion system. Now imagine that earth fires a 3000 watt microwave laser for one second to Rocket B instead of Rocket A. Rocket B now holds 3000 joules. Rocket B still only has to give Rocket A 1000 joules from it's perspective. So Rocket B fires a 1000 watt microwave laser to Rocket A for one second as stated earlier. Rocket A accelerates to 10 m/s. Rocket B has 2000 joules left over and sends the 2000 joules back to earth in the form of a 1000 watt microwave laser fired for 2 seconds. Using Rocket B as an intermediary, the earth accelerated Rocket A to 20 m/s for 1000 joules, less energy than was thought to be necessary.

[nj_bartel]

Interesting.  Going to have to ask my physics teacher about it!

[Borek]

Seems to me like it is not different from this case: imagine you have a 1 kg metall sphere. You can throw it with a 1 m/s speed. Imagine yourself sitting in the train.

Train waits at the station. Trains speed=your speed=ball speed=0. You throw the ball, it gains 1 m/s, its kinetic energy becomes 0.5 J, and that's the amount of work done by you.

Train is on the move. Train speed =your speed=ball speed=10 m/s. Kinetic energy of the ball=50 J. You throw the ball. Ball speed=11 m/s now. New kinetic energy of the ball is 60.5 J. Increase in the energy is 10.5 J, so you did 21 times more work.

Honestly, I have never noticed the difference. Not that I have ever played the ball in the train

[aldoxime_amine]

Sample this:

Have you ever been irritated by a fly or a mosquito in an airplane/train/bus? Well, I have (...) Can a fly fly at 3000/300/30 mph?  The fly is able to "keep up" with us even though it does not "rest" even for a second anywhere..But we know flies can't fly so fast..So whats wrong?

[nj_bartel]

As per my physics teacher - The problem with the apparent paradox is that you haven't accounted for conservation of momentum.  You can't convert all the absorbed energy into KE of the rocket going forward.  KE is also given to the propellant.  When you take this into account, there is no diff between directly sending the energy to the rocket or sending it to rocket A or first to B and then to A.

[CJA]

Sample this:

Have you ever been irritated by a fly or a mosquito in an airplane/train/bus? Well, I have (...) Can a fly fly at 3000/300/30 mph?  The fly is able to "keep up" with us even though it does not "rest" even for a second anywhere..But we know flies can't fly so fast..So whats wrong?

The mass of the fly is almost nothing so to keep its body moving at the rate is not a problem. When you think about if you jumped on that train and it was moving 3 meters per second you would not be 3 meters back even if its moving at 3 meters per second. You would land straight back on the spot you jumped. This is the best explanation I can give, im sure there is a better one