Does a traveling light particle, traveling at the speed of light become trapped in time? If the theory of relativity is true then as a object travels near the speed of light, time slows down. Once that object reaches light speed, time stops. If time stops then the eight seconds that a light particle takes to reach earth from the sun would become a infinite amount of time relative to that particle, meaning that the particle never reaches earth. How can something both happen (particle reaches earth) and not happen (particle is frozen in time) at the same time? Be on the lookout here soon for another question I will be posting concerning the speed of light.
2007-01-14 15:16:08 · 11 answers · asked by jedi1josh 5 in Science & Mathematics ➔ Physics
You are absolutely right. A photon doesn't age. The 15 billion years of existence of the universe is but a mere instant for a photon. Furthermore distance doesn't exist for him either, everything exists in a infinitely small space. When you combine these two effects, you see that they counteract each other. For a photon coming from the sun, the instant it leaves the sun is the same it reaches the earth and there is no distance to cross. Time and space simply doesn't exist for a photon, it is totally oblivious of both.
2007-01-14 15:32:22 · answer #1 · answered by catarthur 6 · 1⤊ 1⤋
My "theory of relativity" is a bit rusty, but I don't think that time stops. It says that time slows down relative to other objects, or conversely that time speeds up for the other party. So, your logic would suggest that since time stops for a light particle, it would increase to infinity for everything else. Additionally, you could argue that since a photon has mass, it doesn't actually reach the theoretical speed used in the relativity equations. So, i guess the answer to your question is that the particle is not frozen in time.
2007-01-14 15:43:49 · answer #2 · answered by Ryan 1 · 0⤊ 0⤋
More things change as an object approaches the speed of light than just time. Distance also changes. Mass also changes. I believe the paradox is due to confusion of the model and the thing. The verbal description of the situation is in English and is limited by the concepts that are lumped together in the words we have available. Early last century it was thought an impossibility for light to have both particle like attributes and wave like attributes.
2007-01-14 15:28:59 · answer #3 · answered by anonimous 6 · 0⤊ 0⤋
If light is the frame of reference - time does indeed stop.
Consider that if the time stops for a photon - rather than the "infinite amount of time" you indicate in your question for the suns light to reach earth - it would instead be instantaneous!
Consider that you left for your trip at precisely 9:00 AM - you could travel at the speed of light to anywhere in the universe and arrive at precisely 9:00 AM.
2007-01-14 15:34:01 · answer #4 · answered by LeAnne 7 · 1⤊ 1⤋
I believe you are misunderstanding the theory of relativity.
Remember the name of the theory -- RELATIVITY.
Per that theory, time progresses differently for different observers relative to their relative velocities. So, if you and your twin (these explanation are always done with twins) were standing on the sun and you were exactly the same age (because you are twins) and you jumped on a light particle and rode it to earth.
Because you were going at the speed of light relative to your twin (you are going at a different speed relative to other things in the universe for example your speed relative to other light particles might be very small) you will not age compared to your twin. From his perspective, time will have stopped for you (but not from your perspective of from the perspective of other people with different relative velocities compared to you).
If the photon (light particle) you were riding bounced off the earth and returned to the sun always maintaining a velocity of the speed of light relative to the sun, Then when you got to the sun, you would not have aged compared to the twin, even if you did it thousands of times.
However, time for you would not stop. Your photon would not stop.
There are lots of fun thought problems associated with the theories of relativity (general and special) but this is not one of them.
2007-01-14 15:32:22 · answer #5 · answered by enginerd 6 · 3⤊ 0⤋
You have it reversed. If the particle has a perspective and since time stops for it, no time would pass at all. The 8 min would go by in an instant.
2007-01-14 15:43:26 · answer #6 · answered by Scott S 4 · 1⤊ 0⤋
According to Relativity, the speed of light in a vacuum is a constant - it's always the same regardless of your frame of reference. So time dilation doesn't apply to a photon.
2007-01-14 15:29:18 · answer #7 · answered by Musmanno 2 · 1⤊ 0⤋
You misunderstand... the particle experiences less than 8 seconds relative to our frame (8 seconds).
2007-01-14 17:44:59 · answer #8 · answered by tomz17 2 · 0⤊ 0⤋
Where do you get the idea that time stops at the speed of light? That is not true at all. Think about it.
2007-01-14 15:34:13 · answer #9 · answered by pshdsa 5 · 0⤊ 1⤋
Since light from the sun does reach us, obviously, your logic is flawed. Reconsider your assumptions, before asking other questons.
2007-01-14 15:26:13 · answer #10 · answered by Lorenzo Steed 7 · 1⤊ 2⤋