Light and Space - Theory of relativity?

Question

Hi, i know this will be very wierd question and no one will be able to answer accurately.

Based on the theory of relativity, as the speed of object increase distance in 3-D decreases (warping of distance occurs).. If i travel with the speed of light -- time will come to halt...My question is what will happen to space ? space will not exists, it will be completely warped, it cannot exists even as a point, (not the ideal definition of point being hyphothetical unit which occupy 0 space and is indivisible)..
Moreover light -- which travel with the speed of light-- how space will be defined for it -- it won't exist according to this theory...

Answer 1

On the contrary, a light beam would merely percieve that it travelled instantly inbetween origin and destination. Space would be warped to Zero distance in the direction of travel, not Zero space. I know it seems like a sleight-of-hand trick with the mathematics, but the distinction is important.

Answer 2

Relative to the question is the object which is relative to the observer. As an observer might observe, but not as the object realizes. Like the twins paradox, one is older as time was not slowed down and the other was the same age as time slowed down. However, the young twin did not observe time slowing down and was shocked when he discovered that the earth had aged so much.

Light does not actually have mass and so is as the theory says time = mass and so it does not have a time. An object that accelerates to the speed of light is infinitely massive and so it ceases to exist as it is infinite in time. Light clauses this by being massless, and so not increaseable.

Answer 3

When you increase speed it is similar to increasing mass, It has the same effects. You end up sinking into the 4th dimension or warping it and when traveling you end up traveling further in the 4th dimension than you do in the 3rd and end up with time dilation.


Imagine land was similar to a trampoline and it is slightly uphill. The quicker you run the bigger the indentation will be created in the tampoline and the more energy it will require to accelerate. The quicker you go the more fabric you'll cover but less actual distance(time dilation). If you keep accelerating you'll create such a indentation in the fabric that you would have to run straight up, it would be a wall.

In that case the time dilation would be HUGE. You would have to run straight up and cover a lot of fabric but you haven't moved in 3d distance.

Answer 4

This is very observant of you. This is one of the many paradoxes which are posed by the Theory of Relativity, which is why scientists are searching for a "Unified field theory" which can explain the observations that we make about the universe. It is not a wierd question at all, it has been asked time and time again (no pun intended). You are right, no one is able to answer accurately because nobody knows.

Continue on your search. Someday you will discover the truth.

Answer 5

The first answer is correct. The spacetime interval between points in four-dimensiional space time is given by ∆s^2 = ∆x^2 + ∆y^2 + ∆z^2 - c^2∆t^2. This interval goes to zero for an object moving at velocity = c.

Answer 6

Actually, if your were able to achieve the speed of light (c.), you would achieve a singularity. But according to Einstein (General & Special Relativity), mass increases to infinity as its speed approaches c. Therefore, this would create a "meaningless" response.

As another consideration, you will note that the Laws of Physics break down on the quantum level. Physicist believe that both theories are equally valid, but are different parts of the Grand Unified Theory (still undiscovered).

However, on a quantum level, the effects of both space and time react in ways that are so alien to human thinking that this concept would not exist.

In our experience, time and space cannot be seperated and that is why it is referred to as "spacetime". On a relativistic level space and time cannot be sperated, But on a quantum level, space and time MAY be separable. Again, these concepts are meaningless when we approach both ends of the scale - macr & micro, relativistic & quantum levels.

Answer 7

General Theory of Relativity: Object contraction & time dilation occur RELATIVE to the observer - or for moving object moving close to speed of light, time slows down for the moving object (relative to an "observer"). *Take note that for matter to travel at speed of light, it needs an infinite amount of force, or an infinite amount of time to accelerate it to that speed. Light travels at constant speed, to reach earth in 8 minutes from the Sun, 4.2 lightyears from Alpha Centauri, and assuming an object manages to travel close to light-speed, it would cover that distance in the same "earth time" assuming we earthlings can observe the events. However, the timeclock of the moving object moves much more slowly. Another phenomena is object contraction ,shortening of the object as measured by we earthlings, relative to the moving object (traveller within the object will not find a difference in object's length).
Light is not scientifically defined as a matter. But as light is affected (and curved) by gravity, space-time continuum is affected by gravity.