Suppose a star begins to radiate and move at a particular moment and it emits rays backwards and its speed is double the speed of light, then what length of light beam can be seen after one second? Will it be equal to distance of lightspeed/second? Wil the lightbeam be intact continuous linesegment or something like a dotted line owing to faster speed of star than that of light?
2006-08-26 20:33:07 · 11 answers · asked by rafik talat 1 in Science & Mathematics ➔ Physics
Two problems with your question:
1. Speeds greater than that of light are impossible.
2. "Double the speed of light" relative to what? The star won't
"know " it's moving at a constant speed, so it won't "see" any difference in its output.
At speeds approaching that of light relative to another observor, the only difference the observor would see is a shift in the spectrum of light being radiated by the star. If the star approaches the observor, the light will appear to be blue. If the star recedes from the observor, the light will appear to be red. This is the Doppler Shift in action. Cops use it when they beam a radar pulse at your car to see how fast you're approaching them.
The reflected radar beam is blue-shifted by a certain amount. That amount tells them how fast you're going.
Light waves don't "break up" when radiated from objects observed to be moving. They change in frequency, and that is all. The speed of the waves never changes.
2006-08-26 20:52:50 · answer #1 · answered by almintaka 4 · 1⤊ 0⤋
The question is unfortunately misconceived. Nevertheless it draws attention to an interesting topic - what is the speed of light as seen by an observer who is moving at a very high speed comparable to the speed of light in vacuum.
It is well known that one of the postulates on which the special theory of relativity rests is that the speed of light in vacuum is a universal constant. Hence all observers irrespective of their speed would find a light ray moving with the same speed.
Also since no object can move with a speed greater than the speed of light, no observer can catch up with a light ray that he has sent out.
I am not sure if a radar ray would be blue or red shifted when reflected by a moving car, or for that matter, by any moving object Again even for the fastest car, will the shift be large enough to be measurable? It needs to be worked out.
So far as I know radar ranging is done by reecording the total travel time of the radar ray which is reflected from a distant object.The velocity of such an object can be easily worked out from the distances at the begining and end of a short interval of time.
2006-08-27 01:30:33 · answer #2 · answered by rabi k 2 · 0⤊ 0⤋
Nothing can move at double the speed of light. No, don;t even think it, it cannot happen, ever, stop asking what if questions about things going faster than light, stop it, right now,
now go outside and play.
2006-09-03 15:53:37 · answer #3 · answered by kemchan2 4 · 0⤊ 0⤋
3 multiple by distance that star move in a second
2006-08-26 20:58:18 · answer #4 · answered by vijay4118 2 · 0⤊ 0⤋
Matter cannot travel the speed of light.
2006-08-26 23:57:43 · answer #5 · answered by john a 2 · 0⤊ 0⤋
The speed of light is 300000km/sec under vacuum SO.... U CAN GUESSS
By the way I agree with john
2006-08-31 09:48:34 · answer #6 · answered by rokey 2 · 0⤊ 0⤋
You need to take a one year course in Special Relativity to even understand what you're trying to ask.
Doug
2006-08-26 20:53:27 · answer #7 · answered by doug_donaghue 7 · 0⤊ 0⤋
Assuming instant acceleration 0mm
2006-08-26 20:40:06 · answer #8 · answered by hepsi_babe_23 1 · 0⤊ 0⤋
Don't worry about it just kiss goodbye to Einstein's theory of relativity!
2006-08-27 10:14:03 · answer #9 · answered by John A 3 · 0⤊ 0⤋
something related with 3
2006-08-26 21:56:11 · answer #10 · answered by SdM 4 · 0⤊ 0⤋