It is said that traveling at the speed of light will stop time. Which i disagree with since speed is a measurement of distance per unit of time. How is this possible?
2006-12-21 22:32:27 · 10 answers · asked by Anonymous in Science & Mathematics ➔ Astronomy & Space
You may find it hard to believe, but in relativity, speed is NOT distance per unit time. In relativity, the speed of light is the only constant, which requires time and distance (and by the way, mass too) to change. In everyday life, where nothing ever goes fast enough, these effects occur but are so small that you cannot notice. It is only when you try to go really fast that the effects of changing distance, time and mass become large enough to notice.
2006-12-22 01:20:56 · answer #1 · answered by campbelp2002 7 · 0⤊ 0⤋
The speed of light is constant, time is the variable. That's the head twister. At the speed of light an object will have infinite mass, no length and time will stop. Relax, on the space station the clocks run 1 1/2 seconds slow over a year to compensate for the speed.
2006-12-21 22:38:30 · answer #2 · answered by foogill 4 · 0⤊ 0⤋
you are not stopping time when and if you move at the speed of light, you are moving through it faster. Example. don't ask me who or ware but two atomic clocks where set too the same time, one clock stayed on earth the other was put in to space to orbit the earth at a vary high rate of speed. When the space clock dropped from space the clocks where not synchronized. The space clock was behind the earth clock, or the space was younger then the earth clock. What did this prove? That the faster you move the faster you move through time. Example #2. if you had a twin brother/sister you invent a ship that can achieve the speed of light.You get in and say I'm going to Mars and back see you in five seconds. Well it might be five seconds to you but to your twin 10,20,30 years pass. i.e. when you achieve the speed of light your not just moving an amount of distance per unit of time, you are travailing forward through time. And your not stoping it. E=mc2
2006-12-21 23:36:44 · answer #3 · answered by Israel W 1 · 0⤊ 0⤋
The phenomenon of time dilation does not mesh with common sense or everyday experience. It does not seem to follow logically that just because you are moving fast, time should go by at a slower rate (or as your disputed premise stated, stops). YET THE THEORY IS ACCEPTED AS GENERALLY CORRECT, and an abundance of experimental evidence supports it. (Google "time dilation" for those examples which includes the use of atomic clocks and the like.)
Length contraction of distances in the direction of travel is a natural outgrowth of time dilation. If a spaceship travels at a given speed for a shortened amount of time, the distance it travels must also decrease proportionately so as to remain consistent with classical physics.
If it is possible for an object to travel at precisely the speed of light, the equations of special relativity PREDICT that TIME WOULD NOT MOVE, all lengths in the direction of travel would be reduced to zero, and the masses of such objects would become infinite.
I therefore argue that such phenomena are clearly not possible. Light travels different distances at the same speed, and therefore must cover those different distances in different amounts of time (if we use more than one frame of reference).
23 Dec 2006, 10:00pm, Philippines
2006-12-23 01:01:30 · answer #4 · answered by Alien Life Form 3 · 0⤊ 0⤋
I have no idea but it seems possible in the back of my mind since time has been based on a concept we invented here on earth it may differ in another area If you took a human put him on a planet that had and orbit of 12 hours would he age different
would his biological clock adapt would his cells prematurely accelerate? With speed of light travel something odd would happen I think Who can really explain it over time changes would occur that could alter the body's aging process so i guess it could slow down time maybe. I'm a big believer that certain events depict certain possible outcomes. but that's the future how can one time travel its seems rubbish but their are many unknowns no matter how smart you are.
2006-12-21 22:50:25 · answer #5 · answered by Anonymous · 0⤊ 0⤋
The closer towards the speed of light one travels the slower time around you goes.
2006-12-21 23:22:26 · answer #6 · answered by Halo Zero 2 · 0⤊ 0⤋
No, according to Einstein at the speed of light, time would slow down ( relative to the observer ). Its called Time Dialation. Check it out on wikipedia.org
2006-12-21 22:34:49 · answer #7 · answered by Anonymous · 0⤊ 0⤋
Think of it this way. If you had a spaceship that could travel at the speed of light and you turned on the headlights, what would happen?
2006-12-21 22:34:22 · answer #8 · answered by hartless63 4 · 0⤊ 0⤋
time for the person moving at the speed of light (if it were possible) would stop. however the person wouldnt know or realise it.
2006-12-21 22:35:40 · answer #9 · answered by Dashes 6 · 0⤊ 0⤋
MAY BE.
2006-12-23 04:55:03 · answer #10 · answered by ? 2 · 0⤊ 0⤋