Science and simple observation tells us that a jet fighter travelling at 1000 mph firing machine gun bullets that also travel at 1000 mph will not shoot itself down because the combined velocity of the bullets will be 2000 MPH.
Einstein’s theory of relativity states that nothing travels faster than the speed of light which is roughly 186,000 miles per second.
Since 186,000 miles per second is the speed limit that governs our universe here is the conundrum.
If mankind developed a space craft that could travel at 75% of light speed and that space craft was equipped with headlights, how fast would the light from those headlights be travelling? 1.75 x the speed of light which is theoretically impossible or some other velocity?
No coffee yet… The headlight would travel at the speed of light and it would shift in color (bluer? shorter wavelengths) to someone standing in front of the spaceship, but look regular to the person in the ship.
Want to really cook your noodle? If you were going 75% the speed of light and shined a light backwards, how fast would it be going?
I joke. Light is very unique in that it doesn’t behave like most other things when related to velocity, as it has no mass (yes I know there are studies that show it does, but it is an infinitesimally small amount of mass in comparison to nearly anything else measured for velocity)
I am not a physicist, but the examples of this exact question (with the difference that the spaceship is going right under the SOL, not 75%) is that a person on the ship would see the light beam going out normally like you and I would if we were to shine one sitting on our porch. But an observer out in space watching the space ship would see the beam barely ahead of the spaceship.
That’s due to time dilation regarding the reference frame. Time appears to pass normally at the ship going close to lightspeed where it appears to have slowed-down to an external observer.
Keep in mind that depending on the speed of the aircraft and the speed of a bullet, the aircraft may overtake the bullet after a certain distance because of the propulsion of the aircraft and the lack of continued propulsion of a bullet.
Aside from that, whether the object projecting light is stationary or moving, the light projected will always be traveling at the speed of light.
The theory that nothing can be faster than the speed of light will be valid until something is found or made that is faster than light.
That’s why it’s called the theory of relativity. It’s relative to the observer. If I’m on an airplane traveling at 600mph and I throw a ball at 30mph to me the ball will appear to travel at 30mph. However someone on the ground will see the ball traveling at 630mph.
I don’t know if this is true on not but I heard a story about an airplane that shot it’s self down. A fighter plane had shot off a burst of cannon fire and then went in shallow dive. The plane increased in speed while at the same time the projectiles lost speed and the pilot flew under the projectiles and they came down right on top of him.
its relative to itself… the light coming from the craft is the speed of light, its not added to the velocity of the craft like a cannon round coming from an aircraft
the speed is relative to the craft that fired it… and if that craft is traveling at .75x the speed of light, the light emitted and the craft are relative to each thus, both would be equivalent to 0… therefore the light would be emitted at the speed of light- 186,282 miles per second.
The initial velocity of the 2 objects is rendered moot because they are relative to each other. The only time you observe a difference is when viewed as it relates to a 3rd party.
Doesnt matter how fast the vehicle is going. Speed of light is always the speed of light.
Science note: speed of light in vacuum is different than speed of light in other media, but speed of light is always the speed of light.
One way to explain this that helped me understand. Einsteins theory turned things around, backwards of conventional assumed understanding. Our conventional understanding of physics in everyday life tells us that velocities are relative depending on your frame of reference or where you are observing. Distance and time are constant. Your minute and my minute, your mile and my mile are always the same, constant.
Einsteins theory said what if all that is wrong, or rather, only correct because we are goin so slowly. He said what if velocity is what is constant and length and time are what is relative and what change because of speed or frame of reference?
They thought they did. Then they realized they screwed up with the math. They took everything into account except for the delay time between the measurement being taken and it being transmitted and recorded.
:rolleyes: Star Wars nerds. Everyone knows that Star Trek is better. :sarcastic:
