Each of two spaceships has proper length L. One of the spaceships travels away from the Earth at speed V. The other follows at a speed 2V and passes the first. Find how long does the second spaceship take to pass the first? Assume that passing begins at the instant the nose of the second spaceship is even with the tail of the first and that passing is completed when the tail of the second spaceship reaches the nose of the first. Find the answer in
(a) the reference frame of the Earth
(b) the reference frame of the spaceship
(c) the reference frame of the second spaceship. In which reference frame does the passing take the least time?