If an object or person is traveling at the speed of light past a mirror, will there be a reflection for a nearby person to see? What about if the object is traveling faster than light speed? Will there be no reflection? Will it be delayed? Will it just be to quick for a person to see?
2007-05-14 04:57:04 · 9 answers · asked by Julie K 1 in Science & Mathematics ➔ Physics
Do your own homework dude.
2007-05-14 04:59:19 · answer #1 · answered by JR3 2 · 0⤊ 2⤋
Aside from the obvious problems with posing such a question, I'll try to answer it while not doing too much insult to physics.
One of the biggest influence on a reflection is length contraction. That is, as something travels fast, it's percieved length shrinks as seen by an observer not moving with the object. So as the moving object passes the mirror, it has no length, and hence the reflection of the object is a 1 dimensional line....impossible to see.
Another problem is that the mass increases (as noted by a previous answerer). An object moving at the speed of light has an infinite mass, so no light can be reflected off of the object to begin with (Einstein's General Theory of Relativity says light bends towards a massive object).
So no light can travel from the moving object to the mirror. And if the light could be reflected, the image on the mirror would be an infinitesimly thin line.
Any velocities above the speed of light have the same consequence (if mass is still infinite, and length is still zero).
2007-05-14 06:00:04 · answer #2 · answered by astropj1 2 · 0⤊ 0⤋
Technically, traveling at the speed of light is impossible by einsteinium principles. For as you approach the speed of light all time slows to a stop.
But, if you could, then would probably be the same effect as a sonic boom. There would be a reflection, but you wouldn't be able to see it, since the object would be moving too fast to see. And more than likely it would only be visible after it had already been gone for several seconds.
2007-05-14 05:08:41 · answer #3 · answered by Anonymous · 0⤊ 0⤋
There will be a reflection but the spacing will be off. If it is traveling fast than light, then there will be anomaly and everything will come to a point. People will not see anything.
2007-05-14 05:02:08 · answer #4 · answered by Grant d 4 · 0⤊ 1⤋
Now that's a efficient rationalization of time relevance to velocity. Theoretically speaking you would be desirable according to 2 factors, a million. You return and forth faster than mild and might attain the trip spot earlier mild reaches and then look back to intercept the mild and see what ou have asked for. 2. You return and forth faster than mild, then by Lorentz Fitzgerald's equation, you would be shifting in a incredibly new physique of reference that's quicker than the actual physique. (in different words, you would be vacationing in time interior the destiny). Then that's achieveable to do the comparable ingredient by pertaining to to the actual physique of reference.
2016-10-15 22:54:40 · answer #5 · answered by ? 4 · 0⤊ 0⤋
Welll stuff going far less than the speed of light still blurs to us, so it depends on exactly what you wanna see... thinking about it the noise from them passing you might make you go unconscious
2007-05-14 08:18:31 · answer #6 · answered by Ty 3 · 0⤊ 0⤋
travelling at the speed of light willl cause time travel. is that alright?
2007-05-14 05:57:44 · answer #7 · answered by pradip 1 · 0⤊ 0⤋
Yes. Delayed, skewed, distorted.
2007-05-14 06:46:10 · answer #8 · answered by Avengo The Ripper 1 · 0⤊ 0⤋
First when u reach the speed of light u would turn into a black hole . Because the speed of light your mass would be infinity .
2007-05-14 05:13:49 · answer #9 · answered by JOHNNIE B 7 · 0⤊ 3⤋