if you are travelling at the speed of light and you turn on your headlights does anyones see them??

Answer 1

Considering that it is impossible to travel at the speed of light (otherwise, your length would reach zero and your mass would become infinite), perhaps you are asking: What would happen if you are travelling very, very close to the speed of light and your turn on your headlights?

First, from your perspective, the light from your headlights would be moving away from you at the speed of light.

Second, from the perspective of an observer, the light from your headlights would be moving away from your "vehicle" at the speed of light, with of course you not very far behind it.

This happens due to time dilation with respect to the mover. At very close to the speed of light, the time in your reference frame slows down greatly. This is the same effect that causes the "twin paradox", where a traveller moving near the speed of light ages much more slowly than a static observer. Because time dilates for you, the light you observe moves away from your vehicle very rapidly (at light speed) as measured in your time frame, but it very nearly matches your speed from the point of view of a static observer.

Answer 2

mass can't travel at the speed of light without getting heavier so therefore u would implode before u get there. So I've never thought about this question.

However if they can see ur car at the speed of light then that would be light reflecting off of ur car and so light should then be able to escape from ur headlights and so should be seen. I'm gonna go with the idea that u can still walk on the earth in the other direction the earth is spinning.

Answer 3

First off, nothing can travel at the speed of light execpt for well light and black holes. 2nd if your could go at the speed of light and then you turn on the headlights, then the answer is no. The ycould not look at them because the car is traveling at the speed of light and the lights would be trailing behind. But if you turn them on before you reached the speed of light then both you and the lights would be traveling at the same speed and thus someone would be able to see them.

Answer 4

All other arguments aside, think about this:

If something moves at a velocity v, it follows the Lorentz transformations new value = (original value/(1-(v^2/c^2)^.5) such that time slows down, length in the direction of travel increases, and mass increases.

As your velocity approaches the speed of light, c, the ratio of v^2/c^2 approaches the value of one, making the denominator, 1-(v^2/c^2), approach zero....which in turn makes the general expression approach infinity.

Soo... The closer you get towards the speed of light (along with time slowing down to the point of stopping entirely and becoming infinitely long), you would become infinitely massive... Of course, the more massive you became the more energy would be required to make you go even a little faster, so you'd need an infinite amount of energy too and--

*breathe*

If photons had any mass at all, they wouldn't be *able* to travel at the speed of light.

Answer 5

This question has previously been addressed in this forum. Time is stationary for an object traveling at light speed, so no person could turn on anything, or even exist.

Answer 6

First of all to those people who keep saying 'you can't travel at the speed of light', this question is what is called a 'thought-experiment' a technique used by mathematicians and physicists since time immemorial and leading to great theoretical and technical breakthroughs.

Just because you can't do it physically (yet) doesn't mean you can't think about it and speculate on the outcome. Of course you do need to know and understand what you're thinking about in order to use this technique!

Secondly to the individual whose name I can't remember (sorry!):
of course photons have mass! It is equal to E/c squared.

Answer 7

If you are travelling at the speed of light then you are dreaming

Answer 8

Same answer as if you are going faster than the speed of sound, can you still hear, the answer is yes.

People say that you can't travel faster than the speed of light, I say that they are wrong.

Bah humbug

Answer 9

If they were in front of you then, YES they could see the light!! Also it is said that nothing can travel faster that light!! Science has proven that matter can go faster that light!!

Answer 10

there is so many quuestions like this- no. light travels @ the speed of light no faster, waves will never escape. also the car and you will just be energy! (: