Can special relativity be violated by an electron in a television tube?

In summary: To sum it up, although it may seem like the image on a television tube is traveling faster than light, it is actually just an illusion created by the synchronized movement of many electrons. This does not violate special relativity as the image does not carry information faster than the speed of light.
  • #1
abbeynewton
31
0
Now i heard it is possible for an electron in the tube of a television tube to travel across the tube at a speed faster than the speed of light. How can special relativity explain this?
 
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  • #3
What is a "television tube"?
 
  • #4
Bill_K said:
What is a "television tube"?
:rofl:
 
  • #5
abbeyNewton said:
Now i heard it is possible for an electron in the tube of a television tube to travel across the tube at a speed faster than the speed of light. How can special relativity explain this?
What you heard was wrong. An electron can't travel faster than the speed of light.
What you probably heard was that the image of a glowing dot on the picture tube can travel faster than the speed of light. An electron beam that intersects the phosphor screen is changing direction. Different electrons are hitting the phosphor screen at different times, creating a glowing dot that moves across the screen faster than light.
The glowing dot is an image which doesn't carry information. The glowing dot is not a real object. The FTL motion is an illusion created by many electrons that are synchronized to hit the screen at different times.
The glowing dot does not carry information faster than the speed of light in a vacuum. Therefore, the apparent motion of the glowing dot can move faster than light without violating special relativity. Faster than light motion only violates special relativity if information is traveling faster than light.
There are several ways of making an image that moves faster than light. However, the image does not carry information faster than light. Therefore, the image can be considered analogous to an "optical illusion".
 

1. What is special relativity violation?

Special relativity violation is the idea that the laws of physics, as described by Einstein's theory of special relativity, may not hold true in certain extreme situations, such as near the event horizon of a black hole or in the early stages of the universe. It suggests that there may be situations in which the speed of light is not constant or that time and space behave differently than predicted by special relativity.

2. How does special relativity violation differ from general relativity?

While special relativity focuses on the relationship between time and space in inertial reference frames, general relativity expands upon this to include the effects of gravity. Special relativity violation, on the other hand, suggests that there may be situations in which the principles of special relativity do not hold true, while general relativity remains the accepted theory for describing gravity.

3. Is there evidence for special relativity violation?

Currently, there is no definitive evidence for special relativity violation. However, some theories, such as string theory, suggest that there may be situations in which the principles of special relativity do not hold true. Additionally, experiments such as the OPERA experiment in 2011 showed a possible violation of special relativity, but further studies found that the results were likely due to experimental error.

4. How would special relativity violation impact our understanding of the universe?

If special relativity violation were to be proven, it would require a major rethinking of our current understanding of the laws of physics. It would suggest that our current theories, such as special relativity and general relativity, are incomplete and would require new models to explain the behavior of the universe. This could potentially lead to breakthroughs in our understanding of the fundamental workings of the universe.

5. Could special relativity violation ever be observed or tested?

As of now, there is no definitive way to test for special relativity violation. However, scientists continue to conduct experiments and study extreme situations, such as near black holes or in the early stages of the universe, to search for any evidence of deviations from special relativity. Additionally, further advancements in technology and new theories may lead to new ways to test for special relativity violation in the future.

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