Disregard all of the unfortunate conditions. In a perfect vacuum without any disruptions to the beam, does light have a maximum distance it can travel? Maybe 15 billion light years or so it starts to run out of go go juice.
2006-07-17 09:48:28 · 14 answers · asked by Dwayne 2 in Science & Mathematics ➔ Astronomy & Space
It sure has, but it isn't known yet. The mass of photon has been known to change over a period of time. Since this physical constant is varying in time, I am sure it will reach a limit where photon would just stop.
You may get the 15 billion year figure from the fact that the known lifetime of our universe is that. And since that was the time, that is the maximum light years that light has travelled so far.
2006-07-17 09:55:34 · answer #1 · answered by ngt_765 2 · 4⤊ 1⤋
Light travels "at the speed of light" in the form of photons that are massless particles that also exhibit the characteristics of waves. Photons may be produced when an electron falls from and energetic orbit within an atom to a less energetic orbit and represents the difference in energy between the orbits. As such photons are traveling energy packets and they should travel without limit through the vacuum of space provided they are not captured for example by an electron orbiting an atom. Of course if it were demonstrated that photons can spontaneously degenerate as do certain other particles that would be another story, right?
2006-07-17 10:59:27 · answer #2 · answered by Kes 7 · 0⤊ 0⤋
At lightspeed, there is no distance and no time. And light never slows down, never speeds up, and never stops. That's according to Einstein, of course. Nobody has been able to prove him wrong for almost 100 years now. Not that they haven't tried. Boy have they tried. But, no dice. !86,00 miles per second. Not a bit more, not a bit less. Whether you're moving towards a light beam or away from that light beam, you will still measure 186,000 miles per second, the cosmic speed limit (as far as we know). All of light's motion through time is diverted by its motion through space. We can theorize this because if you were moving at relativistic speeds (close the the speed of light), time slows down for you relative to an observer in a non-moving reference frame. The observer could measure a million years (hah, he should live that long) while you measure 25 years. Mathematically, at light speed you would measure 0 years while an observer in a non-moving reference frame would measure infinity. Plus, distance is shortened in the direction of travel, and again mathematically, there would be no distance, no point "A" to point "B" and all would, by definition, be instantaneous. All is now, all is one. Auhhhhmmmmmmmm.
2006-07-17 18:32:52 · answer #3 · answered by Anonymous · 0⤊ 0⤋
Where would the energy go?
Light climbing uphill doesnt slow down, it loses frequency (becomes longer wavelength/lower frequency).
Even if we had an infinitely perfect vacuum and infinitely perfect mirrors in the lab, if were were to start a packet of light bouncing back and forth, we dont have the 15 billion years (approx age of universe according to scientists) to wait while it traverses 15 billion light years. It would be very hard to measure.
Some astronomers say they see light that is 10 billion years old, so the "die-off" date would have to be bigger than that.
Current science says nope. If you had an infinite universe, and an infinite time to watch, you could let your photon run forever and it would never stop moving.
2006-07-17 09:58:31 · answer #4 · answered by Curly 6 · 0⤊ 0⤋
No maximum theoretical distance.
But, consider, the universe is less than 15 billion years old, so any existing light would have traveled fewer than 15 billion light years so far.
2006-07-17 09:54:42 · answer #5 · answered by Anonymous · 0⤊ 0⤋
Newton's first law: an object on motion remains in motion unless acted upon by a force. In a pure vacuum no objects and therefore no forces would be present so the light would not just "run out of juice."
2006-07-17 10:00:47 · answer #6 · answered by April C 3 · 0⤊ 0⤋
No , Light has no Maximum Limit of distance
2006-07-17 10:03:49 · answer #7 · answered by Anonymous · 0⤊ 0⤋
Nope....
sin²(t) + cos²(t) = 1
Therefore, the energy of the photon automatically remains constant over the entire cycle and the Law of Conservation of Energy is observed.
2006-07-17 10:17:03 · answer #8 · answered by ktinukas 2 · 0⤊ 0⤋
yes. It can travel up to the speed of light.
2006-07-17 09:53:38 · answer #9 · answered by helpme1 5 · 0⤊ 0⤋
Light travels to the universe boundary then returns.(as gravity?)
2006-07-17 10:54:36 · answer #10 · answered by Balthor 5 · 0⤊ 0⤋