We know the speed of light.
Does darkness have a corresponding "speed"?
2007-08-02 08:10:44 · 5 answers · asked by swordfish 2 in Science & Mathematics ➔ Physics
The speed of darkness is, by definition, identical to the speed of light.
Light leaves a region at the speed of light, and anywhere these is no light, there is darkness. Therefore, darkness precedes and follows light, exactly matching its speed.
2007-08-02 08:14:50 · answer #1 · answered by lithiumdeuteride 7 · 2⤊ 1⤋
It can move at varying speeds. Think about this. If you have a light source and put your hand halfway between the light and a flat surface such as a wall. The shadow of your hand moves twice as fast on the wall right? Right! Now, get your light source and point it at something like ... Uranus. Put your hand very near the light source and pass it by such that it traverses the entire surface of uranus. Now, if your hand traveled at 30 miles an hour and the ratio of distances is something like 1 foot to some number larger than 8448 billion feet ( i really figured it out) Then the speed of the shadow on uranus is 253440 billion miles per hour or 371712 billion ft/sec. thats 371,712,000,000,000 ft/sec or about 377,200 times the speed of light.
So the speed of dark can get pretty damn fast eh?
2007-08-02 15:33:14 · answer #2 · answered by billgoats79 5 · 0⤊ 0⤋
Darkness moves at the speed of light, of course, as darkness is nothing more than light outside of the visible spectrum.
2007-08-02 23:52:39 · answer #3 · answered by Fred 7 · 0⤊ 0⤋
erm...darkness doesn't really travel. It's just the absence of light. It takes the same amount of time for you to perceive the darkness as it would for you to perceive the light, though, if that's your question. Eg, if a star forms, it will probably take millions of years for us to see the light from the star. Let's call the time lapse "x". Assuming there is no relative motion during the interim, it will also take x years after the star collapses before we see the darkness in that spot instead of light.
2007-08-02 15:13:50 · answer #4 · answered by lockedjew 5 · 2⤊ 1⤋
Darkness is just a difference in the number of photons between one area of space and another. In a sence, darkness does not really exist in the same sence that light does. There are no darkness waves nor are there are any darkness particles. Therefore, darkness has no speed since it is imaginary.
2007-08-02 15:19:09 · answer #5 · answered by Roger S 7 · 1⤊ 2⤋