2007-07-26 23:08:14 · 16 answers · asked by Anonymous in Science & Mathematics ➔ Physics
Umm,... the headlights come on. They do work, right?!!
OK, I do know what you are asking. Actually I've already answered the same question. Except it was in a spaceship, not a car. (If only a car would go that fast)
You are wondering since you are already going at light speed, you'll catch up with the light beam and so the beam of light will not shine on anything ahead of you, so you'll be driving in the dark. Right?
But no, the light would go on ahead of your spaceship at the speed of light RELATIVE TO YOUR SPACESHIP. As far as your spaceship and you are concerned, the headlights are working as they would stationary or at any speed. That's because you and the spaceship and the light beam are all in -- what is called in Einstein's words -- the same frame of reference.
So yeah, your light beam will shine on forward just like normal, and it will leave the headlights at the speed of light.
I know it does not make sense, but Einstein put his super brain to this little example a while back, and he came to the conclusion that "the speed of light is the same for every observer no matter what the speed of the light source or the observer."
But to be realistic, we don't have to go at light speed. Let's just go at say, 99.999% of light speed. Still pretty fast, and still within the confines of calculable physics. So, back to your question,... it's like you're thinking hmmm,... I'm not going quite fast enough and the light beam is still going ahead of me at 0.001% the speed of light. And you want to do a measurement to make sure. So you place a mirror some distance in front of the headlight and using some highly precise and sophisticated timing instruments, you measure the time taken for the light to bounce from headlight to mirror and back to you. You know the distance, and you've measured the time taken, so you calculate the speed, and it's..... what? 299792458 metres per second?!? (OK, maybe not that precise) Hey, isn't that the speed of light in a vacuum? Yup, that's what happens. No matter how fast you or the spaceship (or car) or the headlights are moving, once the beam of light leaves the headlights, it zooms ahead at the speed of light AS MEASURED BY YOU IN THE CAR/SPACESHIP.
And this is the best part: It bounces back at you at the same speed too!!! (You'll have to take two separate measurements for this, though.)
Strange, but true. Proven too. Not just bookworm theory, but proven fact. (Yes, it's been measured.)
Light behaves this way because it is not like anything else in the universe. It is pure energy, it is massless, and therefore is not affected by motion the way things/bodies/particles with mass are affected by motion. It has no mass, no inertia. No inertia mean not affected by motion. It does not matter how fast the source or the observer is moving, it always appears to be moving at 299792458 metres per second (in a vacuum). (This is so long as there is no acceleration, but let's not get into that here and now.)
2007-07-27 00:02:28 · answer #1 · answered by ╡_¥ôò.Hóö_╟ 3 · 3⤊ 0⤋
You'll get pulled over by the police.
As for the headlights, they will be on, but no light will leave them as you are going at the same speed, its like throwing a ball in front of you and then running after it at the same speed, its relative position does not change.
2007-07-27 23:42:28 · answer #2 · answered by Nick S 4 · 0⤊ 1⤋
If ur travelling at the speed of light and u put on ur headlights u will not be able to see anything in front.It will be better that u put off ur headlights.Becoz in order to see the light rays need to hit the object and then by reflection come to ur retina to form an image.
2007-07-27 00:55:59 · answer #3 · answered by sandy 2 · 0⤊ 1⤋
According to the Einstein 's special relativity you will find the speed of the headlights the same as the speed of light when you are not moving.I mean you will find the speed of light 3x10^8 m/s.
Einstein says the speed of light for the observers who are in a frame without acceleration is constant.When someone watches you in another frame,he/she will find time not passing for you.However,you find the time passing for you.
2007-07-27 02:03:48 · answer #4 · answered by Nb 2 · 1⤊ 1⤋
on your referential, issues might look known, the headlight might emit photons traveling at 300000 km in step with sec removed from you, by using fact time might have slowed down so as that the cost of sunshine fairly to you continues to be the comparable ! for this reason there's a time dilation once you go very speedy, you like the cost of sunshine to be the comparable for every physique. Now what might look unusual is the panorama around you... have you ever theory-approximately that?
2016-10-09 10:29:49 · answer #5 · answered by Anonymous · 0⤊ 0⤋
The headlights will works as usual, as per Einstein's theory of relativity. However, you are liable to get a huge ticket for speeding. In most states, you will be arrested for reckless driving.
2007-07-27 02:32:03 · answer #6 · answered by stopwar11112 3 · 0⤊ 1⤋
Nothing because your going the same speed... if you started to overtake the light then the lights wouldn't work... But hey...more importantly let me know where you got a car that can top 186,000 Miles/Sec!
2007-07-26 23:12:40 · answer #7 · answered by brit_plod 4 · 0⤊ 1⤋
there are 3 answes to this Quetion
it depends on which frame of refernce you take
your frame (in side the car) all will be normal the light will apear as normal
a person to the side/ looking down on of the car if you took a split second the light will not be there
a person in the path of the car will see the light but not be eluminated my it untill he is hit by the car
2007-07-27 22:36:06 · answer #8 · answered by Donatello 2 · 0⤊ 1⤋
Yoohoowee's answer is pretty impressive - reminds me of the fly in the plane zooming along at 600mph.
2007-07-27 01:59:47 · answer #9 · answered by ivallrod 4 · 0⤊ 1⤋
hopefully the headlights will come on
2007-07-26 23:12:49 · answer #10 · answered by coffee 5 · 0⤊ 1⤋