If Mach 1 is 700mph (ish). How fast is Warp factor 1?

Question

In a recent Star Trek (original series) the Enterprise was thrown some 900 light years, or something like that across the galaxy, and it took them 11 hours or so at wapr 6 to get back. If Warp 1 was light speed, it would be worse than that he's dead Jim :o)

Answer 1

Warp factors have changed from The Original Series to The Next Generation (and beyond).

In TOS the warp curve (the line it would graph if plotted with warp factor on one axis, and speed on the other axis) was near enough an exponential funtion (though with 'c' as the base instead of 'e'). Which was why you sometimes had objects travelling at warp 13, warp 15 etc.

TNG set the "warp ten threshold". The warp curve was changed (and still remains today) as an symptotic curve. Warp 10 is now infinite velocity - you would occupy all points in space simultaneously.

However, warp one has always been and will always be the speed of light.

Answer 2

Start Trek was very inconsistant with their speeds. Most times they could only go about 1000 times the speed of light, but in some shows they'd have to be able to go hundreds of thousands times lightspeed for the story to work.
According to the official book, warp speed was 2 to the w power (w being the warp factor) times the speed of light, so warp one would be twice the speed of light.

Answer 3

Achieving warp factor 1 is equivalent to breaking the light barrier.
In the fictional universe of Star Trek, the warp drive is a form of faster-than-light (FTL) propulsion. It is generally portrayed as being capable of propelling spacecraft or other objects to many multiples of the speed of light, while avoiding the problems associated with time dilation.

Answer 4

warp 2 is definately not 2x warp 1.

I think warp 1 is light speed. and each warp factor N after that is light speed x 10^ N.

So warp 2 is 10xlight speed, warp 3 100. and so on.

Answer 5

Warp one was speed of light warp 2 thru 7 was a logirithum (?) of speed of light. (Warp 2 wasnt twice the speed of light) but still haulin a**. Warp nine was achievable but only for short period of time. Radio communication was "subspace" - they had to use something other than speed of light radio waves

Peace and Prosperity ------ Live Long and Prosper

Answer 6

The speed of the constants that you are talking about depends on the medium they are moving through. Mach (or speed of sound) actually changes depending on its medium. At ground level its about 500 - 700 Mph depending on the density of the air. The speed of mach underwater is about 350mph due to the thickness of the medium (water).

Warp or speed of light is a constant in the mathematical equation E=MC2 (squared) and is commonly refered to as C. The actual speed of light (in a vacuum) is annotated as 299,792.458 km/s. This is shortened down to 300K km/s for most mathematical equations dealing with radiowave applications. Just like sound, light's speed can be affected by the density of the medium it is passing through.

If you need more, just ask.

Answer 7

Warp 1, the speed of light, is a little bit under 186,000 miles per second.

Answer 8

Warp speed...you trekkie freak.

OK, to humor you. Warp speed in Star Trek was the threshold of the speed of light = 3x10^8 m/s = about 186,000 miles/second.
Thus warp 2 was 2x light, and so on.

Answer 9

In Star Trek:TOS, the warp factor was an exponent. Thus warp one was C or 186,272 miles per second. Warp two was C to power of two or C squared or 186,272 x 186,272 miles per second.

Warp six is 186,272 x 186,272 x 186,272 x 186,272 x 186,272 x 186,272 miles per second. It's really fast.

Answer 10

Do a Yahoo search for "Warp Drive" or see the website below, it has tables which are very nice.