Speed of light?

Question

What would happen if you were in some vehical that travels at the speed of light, and you turned a light on?

Its a hypothetical question, I do know that you cant get anything with mass to reach the speed of light.

Its a hypothetical question, I do know that you cant get anything with mass to reach the speed of light.

Answer 1

First, I curiously wonder how this is different than a jet going the speed of sound whose pilot turns on a radio. (For any who would claim that sound is not constant by light is, be aware that just like the medium influences sound--compare sound in air versus water--light is impacted by gravitational forces--light "bends").

Second, this is what I think given your scenario. Let us look at the moments up to travelling at the speed of light. If we are driving a car (which relatively is slow) and we turn on the headlights, the light "shoots" forward into the darkness. But, it is important to not that it is also "shoots" backwards, so that our eyes can take in the phenomenon. This same situation occurs if driving and turn on the "dome" light inside the car. Light expands out in all directions at the speed of light. As such, if you are going the speed of light, you must be doing so in a direction. Thus, if you turn on a light, it will expand in all directions; however, in one of those directions (the one you are traveling) it will not be seen because it is merely going the same rate as the "vehicle" that it is in. In fact, it would seem that if it were a "dome" light and you were in teh car (thus, you too are going the speed of light), you would never know that it was on, even though someone behind you and outside the "vehicle" (and thus not traveling at the speed of light) WOULD see it go on.

This is the essence of relativity. The experience relative to you is different than that of the outside person. See the example of the "Twin Paradox" more detail.

Answer 2

Light does not travel. Yeah, I said Einsteins wrong and so is everybody else. Granted he is a genius and I`m just a G but it still doesn`t change the fact that light has no velocity.
Fact or Perception?
When they claim light travels at 186,000 kilometers per second in the speed of a vaccum, what they are really saying is this is the fastest we can measure electromagnetic waves in a controlled setting i.e.Atom smashers.
Our fastest measurement of electromagnetic waves means nothing more than thats one hell of a measurement. BTW this measurement is not done by machines which can garner empirical evidence. This measurement is constructed in theory mathematically from observations of electromagno waves in a vacuum. Light is tricky, you see b/c our perception of light cannot discren from the nature of light. We can`t see without it so we can`t really see it.
Theory
Light has no speed. Why, did I make this outrageous claim? Consider this light is apart of the Electric Magnetic field. They claim light travels through this field? Say it with me Electic Magnetic field. Electric....Light yeah they go hand in hand so what about the Magnetic part?
Hummmmmmmmm? The magnetic part of the field is always charged it lights up the Latent light waves, Photons what have you when acted upon by a SOURCE. A source like a lightswitch. When u turn on a source light does not travel from Point A to B. Rather the power of the source determines the lenght of AB. In closing all the Waves, and Photons whatever have you come from AB ElectricMagnetic field charged not from light itself.

Answer 3

Everyone is correct more or less.

In everyday life on earth, if you're in a car travelling at 100km/h and you throw a ball from the window travelling at 5 km/h, the ball would have a new velocity of 105km/h. not so with light. Lightspeed is absolute and if you are travelling at the speed of light (3x10^8m/s^2) and turn on your lights, the light will NOT pick up the velocity from your craft as well as it's own. It is universal and absolute. Or at least it's known to be so far..

Of course mass can't reach lightspeed under any circumstances so my answer is a little moot :)

Answer 4

Simple, you cannot get anything with mass to reach the speed of light - hence your question is purely hypothetical.

Answer 5

The same principle applies. The light that you turned on will travel at the same speed as your vehicle.

Answer 6

If this speed were possible (which it isn't per other answer), you wouldn't be able to turn on a light anyway because time would be standing still.... which means you couldn't do anything that took "time".

Answer 7

You can't get to that speed.