lol just a little dumb question
2007-08-29 04:44:58 · 5 answers · asked by Noles 4 in Science & Mathematics ➔ Physics
It's a perfectly reasonable question.
However, it's an impossible situation. When travelling near light speed, you experience what's called "time dilation." Basically this means that you slow down relative to the outside world. What seems like a minute to you might be 100 years here on earth.
Time dilation gets more pronounced as you approach light speed. When you get to light speed, you will completely stop. This means that you would never be able to turn on your lights, so the question is moot.
When you travel at .99 the speed of light, and you turn on your lights, the light will still be released at light speed. HOWEVER, because you are experiencing time dilation, it will look to you as if the light is travelling away from you at actual light speed, even though it's only travelling away from you at something less than the speed of light. (there are in fact equations explaining how light's velocity is viewed from different reference points moving away from each other at relativistic speeds, though I must admit I don't know them).
Light itself does not experience time dilation because it does not have mass.
2007-08-29 04:53:15 · answer #1 · answered by Brian L 7 · 0⤊ 0⤋
Yes.
From your reference frame they appear normal.
From the reference frame of someone outside the car, the light from your headlights would still be visible, but would have a shift toward red or blue depending on whehter you were headed away from them or toward them. If the external observer measured the speed of light from your headlights, it would still be the same as normal; only its color (wavelength) would change.
2007-08-29 04:51:53 · answer #2 · answered by dogsafire 7 · 1⤊ 0⤋
Yes, they will turn on, and you will see them turn on, because regardless of your speed, you are not really moving if you are in the car with the headlamps. Both you and the headlamps are not moving within the vehicle.
2007-08-29 04:50:42 · answer #3 · answered by Dan 2 · 0⤊ 0⤋
Yes. But the light will be coming at YOU!!!!
2007-08-29 04:55:22 · answer #4 · answered by dodol 6 · 0⤊ 1⤋
yes they turn on - do you see the beam - NO
2007-08-29 05:52:30 · answer #5 · answered by Anonymous · 0⤊ 0⤋