when you are makeing a shadow on the wall and you move your hand how long dose it take for your shadow to catch up to were your hand stop? it is not at the same time nor is it as far behind of your hand but it is close, right? i think the answer is darkness has the same speed as light does, but what about a shadow's reaction time? what is it?
2006-11-01 17:35:30 · 6 answers · asked by jesse g 1 in Science & Mathematics ➔ Physics
T=D/R ------------ Rate * Time = Distance
Time = UNK
Rate = Speed of Light
Distance = measurement between the light source and the wall.
Solve for T
The light is a fixed distance from the wall so the position of your hand isn't relevant. D would need to be measured for accuracy.
2006-11-01 17:52:49 · answer #1 · answered by Dawn J 4 · 0⤊ 2⤋
Your specific question is answerable as being related to the distance your hand is from the wall divided by the speed of light. Just consider what's happening with the stream of light on the two edges of your hand as it moves.
On the leading edge, your hand interrupts the stream of photons, so the region that was lit remains lit until all the photons that were already between your hand and the wall actually hit the wall.
On the trailing edge, your hand exposes a region that was previously shaded. The photon that would have just hit your hand now continues onward to the wall.
Naturally, the time it takes to travel, say 12 inches, is just about 1 nanosecond, which is insignificant compared to the time required to move your hand.
2006-11-02 01:56:20 · answer #2 · answered by arbiter007 6 · 1⤊ 0⤋
The thing is that darkness doesnt move and does not have a velocity. plainly darckness is the absence of light. it is light that has a velocity since light is made up of photons with specific wavelengths and ernergy in that the final output is a coulor. so whe you say darkness moves at acertain speed in the laws of physics it it incorrect. you can't say the absence of something has value same applies to pressure you cannot measure emptyness unless you measure using the no or quantity of the matter contained in it.
to surmerise my point darkness doesn't move it's the light that moves. And if you want to know the "speed of darckness" you first have to know the speed of light which is
t
he speed of light = 299 792 458 m / s
.
rounded of to.
3*10^8mps
so as soon as the light dissapears does the darkness appear.
2006-11-02 05:36:45 · answer #3 · answered by mich01 3 · 0⤊ 0⤋
The shadow is the result of the lack of light therefore the same principle of light applies to the lack there-of, in other words the speed of light also applies to the speed of dark
2006-11-02 01:45:50 · answer #4 · answered by Mikey 2 · 1⤊ 0⤋
No, that trick from Looney Toones don't work. That's not what shadow is. But bring two shadows really close together very very slowly and see what happen to edge of those shadows.
2006-11-02 02:13:46 · answer #5 · answered by Anonymous · 0⤊ 0⤋
It possibly couldn't be a darkness photon? There is no such thing as an anti photon. Light is the speed of the photon. What is dark? How can dark have a speed like lite? Please, do not eclipse the physics.
2006-11-02 04:53:23 · answer #6 · answered by Qyn 5 · 0⤊ 0⤋