Speed of light question (theoretical limit and relativity)?

Question

If you are travelling at or near the speed of light, at what speed does the light from you travel at? Does the light in front of you stay still and the light behind you move away at 186,000 mp/s?

If the speed of light is finite, what is the static point in space that it is relative to? If the sun is moving away from that point at 1/2 the speed of light, would the suns light take 6 minutes to reach us in summer and 2 minutes in winter?

Is there an easy explanantion to this?

Answer 1

There isn't an easy explanation, though it isn't that hard either.



The whole idea of special relativity is that all motion is relative to the speed of light and that nothing with mass can travel that speed. So, in answer to your first two questions, the speed of the light in both directions is still the same as it would be if you were standining still.



What Einstein proved was that there are no fixed points in space, but that space and time are constantly streching and contracting to accomodate the fixed speed of light. The important thing to understand is that distances of space and lengths of time are different depending upon your relative motion. I hope that begins to answer your question.

Answer 2

Light speed does not change in space. Light speed only changes (yes that's right it CAN change) when it is travelling through denser medium...like glass or water.



However, when you are travelling near the speed of light, and your spacecraft is emitting a beam of light in front of it, what it will actually do is compress the lightwaves. If your spacecraft was emitting a beam of light behind it, what that would do is stretch the lightwaves. But the lightspeed would remain the same, compressed or stretched.

Answer 3

If you were traveling at the speed of light you would have become the light. There would be no light in front of you like you are asking.

Answer 4

Speed of light is THE SAME in any frame of reference. That is pretty much what theory of relativity is about.

And RELATIVE TO WHAT are you travelling at the speed of light?

Answer 5

Why might you upload the two speeds? each photon is going from the value of light (C) to 0. no longer from 2xC to 0. and don't be too particular relating to the optimal velocity of light. there have been experiments exhibiting anticipation in a clear out of the colour or polarization of light earlier than the appearance of that gentle on the clear out. possibly the respond lies someplace in the "hiding" dimensions. See: Deuteronomy 29:29

Answer 6

light will always travel at 186,000 mp/s no matter how fast you are going