Would he have broken the light speed barrier?
2006-11-09 22:39:07 · 16 answers · asked by IshotJR 2 in Science & Mathematics ➔ Physics
No. Nothing goes faster than the speed of light.
2006-11-09 22:47:16 · answer #1 · answered by helen g 3 · 0⤊ 0⤋
No.
The speed of light is relative to the observer. An observer on or near the vessel who is also travelling at the same speed would see Superman fly away from him at 1 x the speed of light. However an observer outside of the vessel, not travelling at the speed of light would see different things depending on how fast he was moving relative to the vessel, due to time dilation effects. If the observer was stationary relative to the vessel he would never see Superman leave the vessel !
2006-11-10 01:33:36 · answer #2 · answered by Timbo 3 · 0⤊ 0⤋
One cannot exceed the speed of light, only approach it. So even if he could get very close to the speed of light, he would never exceed it. Other weird stuff happens near the speed of light. Distances shorten, weights increase, etc. The physics of the effects were described by Einstein in his Theory of Relativity. When one asks questions about what is happening near the speed of light, it is important to define a "frame of reference", that is, are we looking at Superman from some fixed place like earth, or are we with him in the craft? What is observed can be only described once we know our frame of reference.
2006-11-09 22:47:50 · answer #3 · answered by cfpops 5 · 0⤊ 0⤋
The movie Superman can already travel faster than light without the use of a craft - that's why he was able to time travel to before Lois Lane was killed and save her!
2006-11-11 00:56:38 · answer #4 · answered by CTRL Freak 5 · 0⤊ 0⤋
No. Especially as it is impossibly to get the vessel to light speed in the first place. His energy will be converted to mass to stop him travelling faster than light and, yawn, it all depends on the viewable reference frame that affects the relative contraction of time to counter the illusion of faster than light travel.
2006-11-09 22:53:15 · answer #5 · answered by Stuart T 3 · 0⤊ 0⤋
Since our mass increases as we approach the speed of light, superman's vessel would actually have infinite mass *at* the speed of light.
So....while they are interesting theories using a gun, superman, etc to potentially exceed the speed of light; they are practically impossible due to the issue with mass.
2006-11-09 23:38:04 · answer #6 · answered by jtrelfa 2 · 0⤊ 0⤋
It's a similar question to those raised in Einstein's papers.
- Consider a propeller where the blade is travelling at the speed near the centre. What speed is it at the tip?
- You fire a gun forward from a car travelling at the speed of light. What speed is the bullet going at?
If you want to investigaet more, then try this.... http://www.amazon.co.uk/Relativity-Simply-Explained-Martin-Gardner/dp/0486293157/sr=8-2/qid=1163159517/ref=sr_1_2/202-5107708-1784665?ie=UTF8&s=books
2006-11-09 22:52:46 · answer #7 · answered by SB 3 · 0⤊ 0⤋
positioned it this style -- vacationing on the fee of sunshine, it would take greater or less 4 years to attain Alpha Centauri FROM the attitude OF AN OBSERVER in the international. in case you have been the only PILOTING the spacecraft, time exterior the deliver might seem to decelerate relative on your individual time as you acquire nearer to the fee of sunshine -- with the purpose to you, it would look like the trip in basic terms took a couple of minutes. as far as how rapid ought to a deliver circulate....your important limits are going to be how plenty gas you are able to hold, and how right you are able to now develop up utilising the gas accessible. in case you have been waiting to construct a deliver like the theoretical Bussard ramjet -- which might use a significant magnetic field to "scoop" ambient hydrogen from the close to-vacuum of area and use it for gas -- your gas furnish may well be effectively infinite, and good velocity might finally be desperate with the help of friction against that reasonable quantity of hydrogen nevertheless in area. I study as quickly as that physicists have calculated that good velocity to be approximately 60% lightspeed.
2016-11-23 13:56:52 · answer #8 · answered by ? 4 · 0⤊ 0⤋
you cant travel at the speed of light so no he wouldnt break it
also if a vessel was going one mph under the speed of light and then shot a missle. in theory it also wouldnt break the barrier
2006-11-10 18:02:21 · answer #9 · answered by RichUnclePennybags 4 · 0⤊ 0⤋
Depends on what his speed would be if its slower than light no as soon as he is out of the craft the craft would go pass as its faster.
As for others saying nothing is faster than light i feel this to be inaccurate as thought is unmeasurable its that instantaneous
2006-11-11 01:56:16 · answer #10 · answered by nirvana 1 · 0⤊ 1⤋