2006-06-14 11:41:40 · 18 answers · asked by Debbie W 2 in Science & Mathematics ➔ Astronomy & Space
Your question is similar to Einstein's question that led to a revolution in physics, so it's not a stupid question by far. Einstein asked, what would happen if someone could travel along a beam of light? What would the traveler see?
Think of relative motion. When I'm on a train, watching the country side go by, it appears to me that everything else is moving and I, the tables, the chairs, and the people on the train are not moving. If I were standing on the ground watching the train go by, it would be the oppisote: I would appear, to myself, to be standing still, and the train, people on it, chairs and tables would all appear to be moving. Relative motion, hense the term "relativity."
What Einstein discovered is that even if one could travel at the speed of light, that person would observe the light in your headlight traveling away from him AT THE SPEED OF LIGHT. Weird, huh? Think about it. If you're on a ski slope and an avalance is chasing you, what are you going to do? You are going to RUN. Why? It decreases the rate at which the avalance is approaching you. If the avalance is traveling 20 mph and you can run 15 mph, the avalance is only gaining on you at a rate of 20 mph - 15 mph = 5 mph. You slow it's approach to you. However, that does not work with light. If you ran away from a light beam, and managed to travel at the speed of light, the light beam behind you would STILL BE APPROACHING YOU AT THE SPEED OF LIGHT. Light speed is constant in every reference frame, no matter WHAT the speed of the observer.
In short, you would see the light in the headlight traveling away from you at the speed of light.
2006-06-14 13:27:45 · answer #1 · answered by malsirofimladris 3 · 5⤊ 5⤋
this question has been asked so many times...(per theory) if you are driving your car in
space or on the earth and turn your headlights on...well since theory is that if you reach
the speed of light you become light therefore your car and you are no longer a solid
visible item. So therefore there will not be any headlights to turn on, you wont be there
to turn them on so therefore the answer is NO.
In the matter to time stretching...this is so the human mind can comprehend the speed.
At 186,282 mps you would be moving so fast so you could cover that distance in 1 second.
So in essence time does not change you are just fast enough to get more done in a second
so a second seems longer.
2006-06-14 17:07:23 · answer #2 · answered by orion_1812@yahoo.com 6 · 0⤊ 0⤋
The headlight would travel at the speed of light plus whatever the speed the rays of light from the headlight are. It's been recently proven that speeds of light are variable, not a constant speed.
2006-06-14 13:39:46 · answer #3 · answered by Anonymous · 0⤊ 0⤋
The light in front of you would always be ahead of you ... the speed of light is constant, so this is more of a question regarding position. Since you are traveling at the speed of light, then so is the vehicle with the headlights that you are in. Since the origin of that light is always in front of you, the light from the headlight source would always be in front at a constant rate. Just hope that you don't run into any astronomical deer since your reaciton time is probably below light speed.
2006-06-14 13:09:30 · answer #4 · answered by icehoundxx 6 · 0⤊ 0⤋
Why would it not bypass your turn? i understand of a mild on the city which couldn't bypass over your turn (on a left hand turn on a divided) until eventually the mild cycles by with someone crossing previous. even though it never skips, it merely won't ever get to you except someone crosses. i does no longer propose operating the pink, because it nevertheless is operating a pink. What you would evaluate doing is determining the position the sensor for the mild is, and perchance rolling the vehicle again somewhat over it to attempt to set off it. although if this can be a everyday element on a visit you may take frequently at evening, I recommend perchance looking a quite option route that avoids this example. As some light fixtures may have unusual cycles at evening. it really is what I did to maintain away from the unusual waiting for left turn mild.
2016-10-14 04:16:49 · answer #5 · answered by Anonymous · 0⤊ 0⤋
You probably wouldnt be able to see the lights on because you'll be traveling at the same speed. So pretty much they would stay in the light bulb as you travel with it
2006-06-14 11:46:12 · answer #6 · answered by Ruiisu 2 · 0⤊ 0⤋
i want to tell u that at least u should know that u can't travel at the speed of light! because u have mass,anything which has mass cannot travel at the speed of light,light is the speed limit of the universe,a speed which is made up of massless photons.ur question is wrong!
2006-06-14 21:22:28 · answer #7 · answered by ♀guardian of angels♀ 3 · 0⤊ 0⤋
You would see what is in front of you. By travelling at light you are actually accelarating the light itself to a speed higher than itself.
Example.. When you travel at speed of sound in a fighter aircraft, you fire the guns/missiles that travel at speed of sound. Do they just drop or they travel ahead of your aircraft and hit the object you are aiming at?
2006-06-14 20:19:29 · answer #8 · answered by Anonymous · 0⤊ 0⤋
That's like asking if your traveling at the speed of sound could you hear what you said before you say it. to answer you would be in a hell of a big hurry.Light travels at the speed of 1860.000 miles per second.hells fire that's faster than my wooden motorcycle will go
2006-06-14 11:49:36 · answer #9 · answered by Anonymous · 0⤊ 0⤋
that doesnt make sense, if you are traveling the speed at light, how is light traveling faster than you. nothing would happen, you wouldnt see your headlights, but others would. also, humans cant possible travel that fast, our bodies cant handle it.
2006-06-14 11:47:12 · answer #10 · answered by sugerfreektj 2 · 0⤊ 0⤋