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9 answers

No nothing can increase the speed of light. Gravity bends the path of light.

2007-03-10 06:11:59 · answer #1 · answered by Anonymous · 1 0

Yes. If Earth's gravity did cause an increase in the speed of light, then it would prove that light has mass.

However, this has been tested in many ways. One classical test involves an elevator shaft, where a very precise light source was placed at the top, and the receiver was placed at the bottom.

What was noted is that light kept going at the same speed, but the frequencies were increased (the light was blue shifted). The photons gained "energy" from falling with gravity but their rest-mass remained at 0.

The experiment was reversed (source at bottom, receiver at top) and the effect was the other way around; the light still came up at the same speed, but it was red-shifted (photons had less energy; frequency was reduced).

Conclusion, Earth's gravity did not increase the speed of light.


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The experiment I described was conducted in 1960 in Jefferson Tower (physics building at Harvard University), over a height of 74 feet (22.5 m).

2007-03-10 06:37:12 · answer #2 · answered by Raymond 7 · 0 0

Wouldn't these photons increasing the gravity be more likely?


Light pressure
Main article: Radiation pressure
The light pushes objects on its way, same as the wind would do. This pressure is the most easily explainable in particle theory (the photons just hit the object). The light pressure can cause asteroids to spin faster [3], acting on they irregular shape as on the windmill wings. The possibility to make sails that would accelerate spaceship in space is also under investigation

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Light_source#Light_sources

Maybe mass and particles caught in photon waves from this description.

2007-03-10 06:49:44 · answer #3 · answered by Anonymous · 0 0

I'm really not sure what you're asking. Light doesn't increase in speed as it approaches Earth, or anything else - light speed is constant. Do you mean light is gravitationally attracted? Gravity bends space-time, so space around massive objects (like a black hole) becomes warped, and light just follows the warp - like a marble going around the side of a bowl. But the Earth cannot bend space as much as a black hole can, so we don't suck in light.

2007-03-10 06:14:10 · answer #4 · answered by eri 7 · 0 0

you're properly desirable that as an merchandise efficient factors velocity its mass will boost. it is a results of Einsteins equation E = mc^2. As an merchandise efficient factors velocity it efficient factors potential it truly is kept in its kinetic potential. So this potential could properly be equated to mass. it truly is why a consistent stress does no longer produce a consistent acceleration. so as an merchandise will boost its kinetic potential it calls for more suitable stress to accelerate it. So if an merchandise with any relax mass were to achieve the speed of light it may require an unlimited volume of stress to accelerate it to this velocity. because stress and potential are appropriate it may also require an unlimited volume of potential. because this potential could be conserved as kinetic potential this may infinitely boost the mass of the article. because the stress of gravity is ruled by technique of the mass of an merchandise and the gap remote from it which means the gravity felt by technique of an merchandise transferring on the speed of light could boost. i do not understand if it may develop right into a black hollow inspite of the truth that. As an merchandise receives in route of the speed of light there's a phenomenon stated as length contraction. This causes the article to, apparently, get smaller contained in the route of its commute. If the article were vacationing on the speed of light the Lorentz aspect could be undefined and so i do not understand the way it may look. A black hollow has a singularity at its heart, this merchandise does no longer have a singularity. i could have a real yet an undefined width, and so could no longer be a level. because of this the dimensions of an merchandise would not particularly count number number, it truly is amazingly usually the mass it truly is of result. it will be stated that each and each one among those consequences could in reality be seen from an outside reference body. in case you've been in a deliver transferring on the speed of light you does no longer note something replacing. a minimum of so some distance as i understand.

2016-12-01 19:14:57 · answer #5 · answered by dymke 4 · 0 0

Finally this participant has asked a question intelligible enough to be answered. I think.

The answer is NO. The speed of light never varies, and photons do not have appreciable mass.

2007-03-10 14:39:34 · answer #6 · answered by aviophage 7 · 0 0

The speed of light is invariant, meaning that neither the speed of its source nor any external influence can increase its velocity. It may take light longer to get from one point to another, but only because of the shape of spacetime.

2007-03-10 06:27:15 · answer #7 · answered by Chug-a-Lug 7 · 0 0

Photons have no mass. If it were very small there would be no light from them after traveling a few million miles.

2007-03-10 06:35:51 · answer #8 · answered by JOHNNIE B 7 · 0 0

First it needs to be proven that light speed is variable. Bending light waves and speeding them up is two different things.

2007-03-10 06:19:15 · answer #9 · answered by morris 5 · 0 1

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