2006-08-26 04:51:16 · 9 answers · asked by CLIVE C 3 in Science & Mathematics ➔ Physics
Do you mean just the travel time of the light from object to mirror to observer? That's just the total distance divided by the speed of light. Or are you asking if the reflection process itself, at or near the surface or the mirror, takes a non-zero time? The latter was investigated a while ago (1960s? 1970s?) in order to calibrate experiments that measure the speed of light using multiple reflections, and it was concluded that there is no measurable delay.
2006-08-26 11:09:26 · answer #1 · answered by Grouchy Dude 4 · 0⤊ 0⤋
Your question needs clarified. Are you talking about the reflection of an image of the object in a mirror? Or, Is the object being reflected (aka bouncing) off a surface? What do you want to know about the delay?
2006-08-26 07:32:51 · answer #2 · answered by STEVEN F 7 · 0⤊ 0⤋
How far away is your object away from the reflective surface, what is the distance your observer is from the reflective surface. if the total distance is 1 light year than it will take you a minimum of one year to find out.
2006-08-26 05:57:46 · answer #3 · answered by treb67 2 · 0⤊ 0⤋
Yup. There sure is. It's given by
t=d/c where t is the time, d is the distance that the 'reflection' travels, and c is the speed of light (about 3*10^8 meters/x)
Doug
2006-08-26 04:57:02 · answer #4 · answered by doug_donaghue 7 · 1⤊ 0⤋
it depends on the structure of the reflective surface, time of travel inside the topology of reflective surface -quantum structure- and its travel through gravitate space to the observer instrument.
2006-08-26 06:55:28 · answer #5 · answered by jedi 4 · 0⤊ 0⤋
Time equals distance divided by rate. So, distance from the mirror divided by the speed of light.
2006-08-26 05:09:42 · answer #6 · answered by Tabulah Erassa 3 · 0⤊ 0⤋
The speed of light.
2006-08-26 04:56:54 · answer #7 · answered by Barkley Hound 7 · 1⤊ 0⤋
Not thyat u can measure
2006-08-26 04:59:26 · answer #8 · answered by JOHNNIE B 7 · 0⤊ 1⤋
very small
2006-08-26 04:56:04 · answer #9 · answered by mesun1408 6 · 1⤊ 0⤋