Speed of light

[rigadin]

Thanks guys sooo much for helping me with all my questions. Now I understand so much more. I feel really free and comfortable to talk in this forum. I am a very curious boy and I like to learn more about my surrounding world. Anyway another queston: What do you think would happen if you go at the speed of light? Would it become pitch dark because you are ahead of the light? Would you see the light behind you????

[swansont]

Objects with rest mass can't go the speed of light, so the question is moot.

[rigadin]

Objects with rest mass can't go the speed of light, so the question is moot.

 

What if it dosen't have a rest mass. What would "it" see? What does light "see"?

[thedarkshade]

"What happens if you follow a photon at the speed of light?" this a question that Einstein itself asked. And I agree that objects with rest mass cannot reach the speed of light, but according to Einstein's theory of Special Relativity they can reach 99% of it, and then the time dilation.

Anyway, I think that an answer has nowdays been provided to you and also to Einstein question. And that answer is "If you follow a photon at the speed of light, the photon moves away from you at the speed of light"

[Riogho]

You could never go the speed of light, because f you did you would have infinite mass.

[iNow]

It's a really really really big IF... but, IF you were massless, I think the speculation goes that you are everywhere all at once. There is no distance, there is no time.

 

I think... and that thought is couched in a REALLY big IF.

[rigadin]

"What happens if you follow a photon at the speed of light?" this a question that Einstein itself asked. And I agree that objects with rest mass cannot reach the speed of light, but according to Einstein's theory of Special Relativity they can reach 99% of it, and then the time dilation.

Anyway, I think that an answer has nowdays been provided to you and also to Einstein question. And that answer is "If you follow a photon at the speed of light, the photon moves away from you at the speed of light"

 

I understand that we can't go at the speed of light what does the light "see"?!

[Sayonara]

Assuming you had an observer with no rest mass, they would always measure light moving at light speed, no matter the direction of travel and regardless of their own motion.

[thedarkshade]

Like iNow said, there must be a REALLY REALLY BIG IF, but let's take into consideration that something has reached the speed of light, and ask what would it see? Well, as time dilation now becomes infinite, then first of all there would be no time at all . Then the mass is completely converted into energy or mass is now infinite. So what would it see? I really can't provide an answer (surely nobody can) to this, but as I was writting something came to my mind. What would you see if your getting into a black hole? there also is no time! And as when you reach the speed of light (which is impossible practically) everything gets tricky, then I guess the view would be QUIET DIFFERENT from our physical world!

[Sayonara]

And as when you reach the speed of light (which is impossible practically) everything gets tricky, then I guess the view would be QUIET DIFFERENT from our physical world!

 

Except in the case of light, where everything pretty much turns out okay.

[Klaynos]

"If I ignore the laws of physics what happens if..." The question can have any answer you want

[thedarkshade]

"If I ignore the laws of physics what happens if..." The question can have any answer you want

 

except anything that has to do with our physical reality!

 

Except in the case of light, where everything pretty much turns out okay.

 

Yeah, but it's OK only because those "conditions" are normal because it's light itself.

[Sayonara]

Yeah, but it's OK only because those "conditions" are normal because it's light itself.

 

But the last post by rigadin refers to a photon as the observer, which makes your post rather superfluous.

[martianxx]

according to relativity IF it were possible to reach the speed of light time would stop leaving what iNOW said would be correct you can travel anny distance instantly, there would be no time or distance.

[insane_alien]

according to relativity IF it were possible to reach the speed of light time would stop leaving what iNOW said would be correct you can travel anny distance instantly, there would be no time or distance.

 

according to relativity you CANNOT reach the speed of light.

 

if you can then relativity cannot apply.

[thedarkshade]

according to relativity you CANNOT reach the speed of light.

.

Even bodies without rest mass can't reach the speed of light, can they?

What about when a star's core runs out of hydrogen? And then what about neutron stars? I think I've, in these cases the electrons orbit at THE FULL SPEED OF LIGHT!

Possible???

[insane_alien]

bodies without rest mass can go at the speed of light yes, but you can't use them as a refference frame.

 

electrons have mass. they don't really exist in neutron stars.

[thedarkshade]

electrons have mass.

I know they have mass and that their mass is 1836 smaller than proton's mass, but I'm very sure that I heard (in a science video) saying "electrons move at the full speed of light", in some particular occasion!

I'll get you the link as soon as I find it!

[insane_alien]

well it is obviously wrong as even the largest particle accelerators cannot reach it(darn close but no cigar)