Have you ever wondered if two objects moving at 75% the speed of light towards each other are actually traveling faster than the speed of light relative to each other? π€ #SpeedOfLight #RelativeSpeed #Physics
π Let’s break it down in a simple and engaging way to understand this fascinating concept better!
What happens when two objects are moving towards each other at 75% the speed of light?
– According to the theory of relativity, as the objects approach closer to the speed of light, time dilation and length contraction occur.
– Relative to an observer outside the system, it may seem like the objects are moving faster than the speed of light.
Can two objects actually exceed the speed of light when moving towards each other?
– Despite the apparent speed, the actual speed of the objects will never exceed the speed of light.
– This is because as objects approach the speed of light, their mass increases infinitely and would require an infinite amount of energy to accelerate further.
Conclusion
In theory, it may seem like two objects moving at high speeds towards each other are traveling faster than the speed of light relative to each other. However, due to the limitations imposed by the theory of relativity, the actual speed of light cannot be surpassed.
So, while it may appear mind-boggling at first, the laws of physics ultimately prevail! ππ« #Einstein #TheoryOfRelativity #FasterThanLight
That’s one of the really weird things about relativity. The speed of light is constant in every frame of reference.
If you were on a spaceship moving at 99.99% the speed of light and you were watching another spaceship that was moving toward you at 99.99% the speed of light, it would still appear to be moving at less than light speed.
I am inclined to agree since that is a very logical answer. You could just break down the concept into two cars moving towards each other and you get that answer. BUT, from my experience in physics I would not be surprised if it was somehow incorrect due to some crazy theorem from 1990 lol
Speeds don’t add linearly. On human scales that creates a tiny error, but at 75% the speed of light the defect is plenty to make sure you aren’t going faster than the speed of light after.
Adding velocity a to velocity b to get a combined velocity of (a+b) is a simplification of how velocities actually add together. It works well for low speeds, but gives wrong answers when relativistic speeds are involved.
If you have an observer “O”, and object a is moving at 0.75**c** relative to O, while object b is moving at -0.75**c** (i.e. 0.75**c** in the opposite direction) relative to O, then O will indeed observe the gap between a and b to be growing/shrinking at a rate of 1.5**c**.
But shifting the frame of reference to either a or b’s perspective would change the measurements of time/space (distances being shorter, the passage of time being slower) and you would find that the relative velocity of b as measured by a (or vice versa) would be less than **c**. And this wouldn’t be a “distortion” or a measurement error, because there is no fundamental objective sense in which O is “really” stationary: it’s equally valid to take measurements in any given frame of reference.
I think what’s fascinating to consider is that the ‘speed limit’ of the universe isn’t an arbitrary number, but rather, a deeply woven aspect of our reality’s fabric. Imagine throwing a ball inside a train moving at top speed. You’d expect to add the speed of the train to the speed of your throw, but at relativistic speeds, things work differently.
The universe applies some sort of ‘cosmic accounting’ where as you approach the speed of light, more of your energy goes into increasing your mass rather than your speed, thanks to good ol’ E=mc^2. So no matter how hard you push the speed envelope, you can’t break past that universal limit.
These principles create a universe that’s safe from causality violations and time paradoxes β imagine if you could outrun a light beam that’s carrying information about your starting position. The constraints of relativity ensure a consistent timeline and confirm why we can’t simply tally velocities like we do on Earth. It’s counterintuitive, sure, but it preserves the coherent structure of space-time.
This is my understanding, but I’ll welcome any other to check my work:
A third party observer will see them closing at the sum of their speeds, yes. But the travelers themselves will experience time dilation. Since speed is distance over time, if you change time, you change speed – they will experience the other object approaching them at no more than the speed of light in their time reference frame.
Well since nothing is faster then lightβ¦no
Welp this whole thread is light years beyond my realm of understanding. Pun intended.
No. Because nothing can even appear to move faster then the speed of light. Thatβs why most equations require any velocity to be much less then the speed of light, eg. For working out red shift.