in winkipedia (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Speed_of_light) i read that the glowing color that colmes from nucler rods stored in heavy water is produced by electrons travveling faster than the speed of light. how is that possible???????
2006-06-06 02:25:36 · 8 answers · asked by maikellysummit 2 in Science & Mathematics ➔ Physics
The picture which I could see in Wikipedia, after removing the [)] from your link was of Cherenkov Radiation. C.R. happens when light travels faster than it's normal speed IN THAT CERTAIN MEDIUM. The speed of light is not same everywhere. It travels with the fastest speed in vacuum, that is the ultimate speed(3 x 10^8 m/s) of light. In heavy water it travels with a certain slower speed. When light is made to travel faster in heavy water(which is faster than the normal speed in heavy water but still slower than speed of light(c)) C.R is emitted. So, far no one has managed to make light move faster than c.
2006-06-06 02:50:41 · answer #1 · answered by avik_d2000 4 · 6⤊ 1⤋
The speed of light, c, in free space (a vacuum) is indeed the same for everyone and cannot be exceeded. But in a medium the speed of light can be much lower - its only 0.75c in water for instance.
In this case it is possible for particles that have a rest mass (photons have no rest mass) to be accelerated faster than the speed of light. The electrons (beta radiation) produced by the very energetic decay of nuclear rods from reactors are so energetic they move faster than the speed of light in water.
When a charged particle moves faster than the speed of light in an insulating medium it sets up a shock wave analgous to a mach wave from a plane going faster than the speed of sound in air. This is the source of the radiation - called Cerenkov Radiation - that is seen.
2006-06-06 09:50:00 · answer #2 · answered by Epidavros 4 · 0⤊ 0⤋
Electrons CAN travel faster than light in a substance. The speed of light in a medium such as air, liquid, or glass is different than the speed of light in a vacuum. The index of refraction is the ratio of the speed of light in a vacuum to the speed of light in the medium. That is how eyeglasses work, for example - by "slowing" light, glass refracts light.
When the electron traveling close to the speed of light in a vacuum ( a "relativistic electron") comes in contact with a medium, it may be traveling faster than the speed of light in the medium. At that point, the electron slows, giving off photons to conserve energy and momentum.
2006-06-06 10:03:54 · answer #3 · answered by volume_watcher 3 · 0⤊ 0⤋
As it states in the article you refer to (corrected link below), the speed of light inside of a transparent material is not the "true" speed of light. The light is slowed because it is being absorbed and re-emitted by the material. Thus, the electrons are going faster than the "slowed" speed of light but not faster that the "true" speed of light, which can only be measured in a vacuum.
2006-06-06 09:34:29 · answer #4 · answered by NotEasilyFooled 5 · 0⤊ 0⤋
I don't know-but get this...Scientist don't even know what light is, or how fast it travels.
But they can tell you that glowing color from neculer rods is faster-I think that says they really don't know that either.
Good news is that what they do know-they know it well, bad news is what they don't know-they speculate...and that can be worse than you realize.
2006-06-06 09:33:49 · answer #5 · answered by Anonymous · 0⤊ 0⤋
Your posted link picked up the parenthesis closed [ ) ] symbol and won't direct the surfer to the article.
2006-06-06 09:29:23 · answer #6 · answered by fhornsr 5 · 0⤊ 0⤋
the speed of light can be manipulated...
read the link...
2006-06-06 14:57:14 · answer #7 · answered by ? 5 · 0⤊ 0⤋
this link is closed . but i can say our thinking capacity is faster then light
2006-06-06 09:34:44 · answer #8 · answered by nyack 4 · 0⤊ 0⤋