If I was travelling in a car at the speed of light and I turned on my headlamps would they work?

Answer 1

You cannot travel at the speed of light, so that's an impossible question to answer, even hypothetically.

But, let's say you were traveling at 99.999999999999% the speed of light, logically you could be forgiven for thinking the light from your headlamps would not have a chance to travel very far in front of you and would illuminate only an inch or two in front of the car.

But, relativity tells us, that very strangely, it makes no difference how fast you are already traveling, the speed of light will zoom away from you at exactly the same enormous rate. And, if you suddenly slammed on your brakes the light would carry on at that speed regardless.

When calculating how fast light is travelling, you do not take into account how fast the source is already moving.. Light always moves at exactly the same rate regardless of whether it's from a stationary source or one that is moving at great speed.

Answer 2

If you were travelling at the speed of light then your mass would be infinite - according to Einstein's theory ( I used to know how to prove this mathematically).
If your headlights were turned on , on your car of infinite mass , then the light bulb filaments ( also infinite mass) should still heat up and glow brightly - so yes they will work. What I think you are asking, however, is will a beam of light shine out of the head lamp and light up the space in front of the car - the light cannot travel faster than the speed of the car so the beam of light will probably not be able to progress in front of the car.

Answer 3

Relativity states that the observer will always perceive light to be traveling at c, hence the headlights should always work.

BUT

Since time slows and mass increases exponentially as you approach the speed of light soooo

Attaining light speed is theoretically impossible since it would require and infinite amount of energy. And should you somehow reach light speed, you couldn't turn on your headlights because that requires time.

Answer 4

They may work but they would not illuminate anything. You (and your car) being of infinite mass, would create a black hole thus trapping all of the light generated by the headlights.

Bert

Answer 5

(1) You cannot travel at the speed of light.

(2) Whatever speed you are traveling at makes no difference: you always observe the light from your headlights to travel at c.

(3) You observe all light beams (in vacuum) to travel past you at c.

Answer 6

Either all the light would pile up on the front of the car (imagine spitting into the wind) or it wouldn't matter because you wouldn't be able to see far enough (light years) to be able to avoid the odd planet or star in your way.

Answer 7

Travel during the day, you wont have to have your lights on then.

Answer 8

I would assume this would be like a jet flying faster than sound , would you hear the engines in front...the answer is no

Answer 9

Of course not how could they
good question though

Answer 10

This question has been asked before.