2007-01-03 22:04:37 · 9 answers · asked by ROVER T 2 in Science & Mathematics ➔ Astronomy & Space
yes, they would still work
2007-01-07 21:48:35 · answer #1 · answered by Anonymous · 0⤊ 0⤋
A spaceship cannot travel 'faster than light' because it is impossible to accelerate ANY mass to the speed of light. The closer to the speed of light the mass is travelling, the more energy it takes to go a bit faster. This is an exponential relationship with an asymptote at the speed of light, making it impossible. Fact.
Now, even if it WAS possible, there would be no reason why the headlights wouldn't work. The only complicated thing would be that, technically, the spaceship would be going back in time. From the frame of reference of the spaceship the headlight's beam would be going forward in time (the opposite direction in time to the ship), so you wouldn't see it but an observer in a separate frame of reference would see something stranger still: they would see the light from the headlights going forwards in time and the ship going backwards in time. Basically, they would see you travelling in the opposite direction to the origin of the headlight beam. It would look very peculiar indeed.
But there is no reason to even try to imagine this scenario, because it is totally impossible. No ifs, no buts, this is a FACT.
2007-01-03 22:10:15 · answer #2 · answered by Mawkish 4 · 2⤊ 0⤋
The impossibility of the headlights working when the spaceship is going at the speed of light is one of the thought experiments that lead to Special Relativity. The deduction, after a lot of thought and some argument, is that the spaceship can't go at the speed of light, or faster.
If an object is moving faster than the speed of light, and it can interact with ordinary matter by the electromagnetic field (i.e. its headlights work), then it is possible to extract an infinite amount of energy from it. This is impossible. Therefore, any object moving faster than light cannot interact with the electromagnetic field. This means the headlights won't work.
2007-01-04 01:53:46 · answer #3 · answered by cosmo 7 · 0⤊ 1⤋
The speed of light is relative to the source. You, in the ship dont "feel" like youre going that fast.
So that the lights would work for you in the ship. But for anything external.
2007-01-03 22:09:31 · answer #4 · answered by craigh00000 1 · 1⤊ 0⤋
The light would accelerate away for one cm then build up pressure,saturate the emitters and destroy them.
2007-01-03 22:26:14 · answer #5 · answered by Billy Butthead 7 · 0⤊ 1⤋
no man.. the ship (according to einstien) would then turn into energy, since it would be faster than it's own reflection... it would just disappear...
2007-01-03 22:08:14 · answer #6 · answered by J T 2 · 0⤊ 0⤋
i think it should work needed or not is a question
2007-01-03 22:07:28 · answer #7 · answered by david j 5 · 0⤊ 1⤋
hypothetically, sooner or later .
2007-01-03 22:15:19 · answer #8 · answered by martinmm 7 · 0⤊ 1⤋
??No??
2007-01-03 22:07:21 · answer #9 · answered by North of Heaven 3 · 0⤊ 1⤋