velocity is relative so one person can go one mile faster than other person. If this is possible than second person can go 1 mile faster than first and so on. When we reach to 186001 th person, he will be travelling at more than speed of light with respect to 1st person. He cannot see 1st person but he is travelling faster than speed of light.
In the Universe there are many objects which are travelling away from us which may be nearing to the speed of light. If that is the case we can go in opposite direction to those objects and can go faster than speed of light.
When an object is travelling, why should it's speed be dependent on some observer which is not connected to object in any shape or form?
We cannot go past Speed of light only if the velocity is absolute and has no reference point but I dont think it is possible. Speed and velocity are not absolute as they have ref pt with respect to which we measure them.
2006-06-21 05:20:52 · 14 answers · asked by my_buddy007 2 in Science & Mathematics ➔ Physics
The example of each person going faster than the previous assumes a consistent additive nature of speed which unfortunately falls apart (shown by experimentation) as your speed approaches the speed of light.
Speed is not absolute in the sense that there isn't a universal stationary reference point. If there were, then the example will apply. According to experiments, however, something travelling away from you at light speed will do so regardless of whichever direction you happen to be moving. This is not something to reason about (nobody arbitrarily made up this rule so that philosophers can find loopholes around); it's just what's been observed so far.
The Wikipedia article at http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Speed_of_light explains it a lot better than I can. Jump to the section "Constant velocity from all reference frames" for the discussion applicable to this example of yours.
However, an article at http://science.howstuffworks.com/news-item6.htm suggests that at least two experiments (pending validation) may have found exceptions?
2006-06-21 05:40:07 · answer #1 · answered by Anonymous · 1⤊ 0⤋
Observational evidence indicates that the velocity of propogation of light through vacume is always the same realtive to any observer, whatever his state of motion. This is the central tenant of the theory of relativity.
The reason you cannot go faster the light stemms from the infamous E=MC2 (E- Energy, M- mass, C- speed of light)
When an object is mooving it acquires kinetic energy. Because, as you can see from the eqation, energy and mass are inerchangable, so the object also acquires additional mass. Because the "exchange rate" between mass is so great - small amount of mass for a vast amount of energy, the effect is not noticiable in regular velocities. However, as you approach the speed of light, the object will increase greatly in mass with every rise of the speed of it's motion. Now, appart from the fact it would be cruched by garvitational forces, it is impossible for it to actually reach the speed of light as the more massive it is the more energy is nedded to make it go faster, and if it does go faster still MORE energy is needed to make it go faster still and so on. There is not enough energy in the univese to make it actually go the speed of light.
Light can travel at this speed because it has no mass.
2006-06-21 12:31:38 · answer #2 · answered by evil_tiger_lily 3 · 0⤊ 0⤋
I am not sure about this because the answer involves some pretty advanced physics.
but from what I do understand, as you approach the speed of light time slows down. So when you reach the speed of light, time stops
as to your relative part - just because something may APPEAR to be moving faster because you are mving as well doesn't mean that it is ACTUALLY moving faster then it really is
2006-06-21 12:28:22 · answer #3 · answered by BigD 6 · 0⤊ 0⤋
I think somebody needs to pick up a copy of
"The Complete and Hopeless Idiot's Guide to Relativity"
or "Hawking Mumbles to Morons"
THE CORRECT ANSWER IS:
that relative to one another two objects can be traveling faster than the speed of light; but no object with mass (unless Quantum tunneling) can travel faster than the speed of light.
Quantum physics insists that subatomic objects with mass must travel (under certain circumstances) faster than the speed of light (quantum tunneling)! So we cannot go faster than the speed of light but subatomic particle can and do all the time.
2006-06-21 18:52:01 · answer #4 · answered by Master Quark 3 · 0⤊ 1⤋
It has now been shown that couples of particles spin at opposite directions. The change in direction is immeadiate. If one particle were to be on the moon, when it changed direction, the one on earth would change at the same time. The connection between the two must be traveling faster than light.
2006-06-21 15:38:36 · answer #5 · answered by Anonymous · 0⤊ 0⤋
As we approach the speed of light, distances will seem shorter. Specifically, the distances in front of us and behind us will seem to shrink. As soon as we hit the speed of light, provided we had enough energy to do so, the distances in our direction of motion will seem to us to be zero, and our universe will become two-dimensional. At this point, having someone go 1mph faster in a dimension that does not exist is not possible.
2006-06-21 13:38:52 · answer #6 · answered by invert 1 · 0⤊ 0⤋
Your thinking is Newtonian. Einstein's theory of Special Relativity proposed that nothing can exceed the speed of light. This has been verified by several experiments and observations.
2006-06-21 12:29:07 · answer #7 · answered by Shank 2 · 0⤊ 0⤋
the problem is actually getting to the speed of light. based on our current equations, getting to SOL would require amounts of energy inconceivable by all current physical standards.
i think that light is more understandable in its four-dimensional form (since the universe is supposedly composed of four spatial dimensions and one temporal dimension). the science that we try to implement upon it is meant for 3D, so it's possible that humanity hasn't developed the math for it ... yet
but it'll be a piece of cake once we do (it may be something as easy as a "hyperspace bubble")
2006-06-21 12:31:04 · answer #8 · answered by Tarvold 3 · 0⤊ 0⤋
I think that soon we will travel at the speed of light. Or maybe our children. We have just to be optimistic and have the eyes on science.
2006-06-21 12:24:38 · answer #9 · answered by Genadi 2 · 0⤊ 0⤋
Einsein says that as you approach the speed of light mass is converted to energy. You would be pure energy at the speed of light and hence to exist.
2006-06-21 13:24:24 · answer #10 · answered by michael k 1 · 0⤊ 0⤋