Light Reflection Question: Velocity and the Infinite Mirror

In summary: According to special relativity, light is a form of energy and it travels at the speed of light. If there was an ether then light would have to travel through it, and that is not the case.
  • #1
Snip3r
102
0
Consider i m moving at a velocity considerable to the speed of light. Above me there is a mirror stretching to infinity . It doesn't move with me. Now if i shine light on the mirror where will the reflected beam hit me?right on me, back of me or infront of me?
 
Physics news on Phys.org
  • #2
You'll need to be more specific in the geometry / distances / speeds for there to be an answer

EDIT: but if I understand your general drift, it will be "back of you"
 
  • #3
Snip3r said:
Consider i m moving at a velocity considerable to the speed of light. Above me there is a mirror stretching to infinity . It doesn't move with me. Now if i shine light on the mirror where will the reflected beam hit me?right on me, back of me or infront of me?
I assume you move parallel to the mirrors surface and you shine a laser perpendicular to the mirror surface as measured in your rest frame? The laser will hit you then. In the mirrors rest frame it will not be perpendicular to the mirror surface.
 
  • #4
A.T. said:
I assume you move parallel to the mirrors surface and you shine a laser perpendicular to the mirror surface as measured in your rest frame? The laser will hit you then. In the mirrors rest frame it will not be perpendicular to the mirror surface.

Assume he is a light year from the mirror and is traveling at half of c. Now do you see why I content that geometry/speed/etc are required in order to answer the question?

EDIT: DOH! Ok, I'm a doofus. I even have a diagram that explains time dilation that also answers this question, and I forgot about it:

http://www.phinds.com/time%20dilation/ [Broken]
 
Last edited by a moderator:
  • #5
A.T. said:
I assume you move parallel to the mirrors surface and you shine a laser perpendicular to the mirror surface as measured in your rest frame?
thats correct. As far as distance u can take any distance between me and mirror

also you can take my velocity any value considerable to speed of light
 
  • #6
Snip3r said:
thats correct. As far as distance u can take any distance between me and mirror

also you can take my velocity any value considerable to speed of light

see my link in the above post. As AT said, it will hit you
 
  • #7
phinds said:
EDIT: but if I understand your general drift, it will be "back of you"

haha that's exactly the reason i asked. Although now you have taken back this, for a moment you were convinced of some stationary ether isn't it?i want to know what convinced you about both the stands? because i am perplexed
 
  • #8
Snip3r said:
haha that's exactly the reason i asked. Although now you have taken back this, for a moment you were convinced of some stationary ether isn't it?i want to know what convinced you about both the stands? because i am perplexed

No, I have never believed in the "ether" since before I ever had a chance to believe in it I read that it was nonsense.

I just got the geometry wrong because I forgot to keep the beam of light in your frame of reference.
 
  • #9
Snip3r said:
haha that's exactly the reason i asked. Although now you have taken back this, for a moment you were convinced of some stationary ether isn't it?i want to know what convinced you about both the stands? because i am perplexed
Why do you think the answer would be any different if there were a stationary ether?
 
  • #10
Snip3r said:
haha that's exactly the reason i asked. Although now you have taken back this, for a moment you were convinced of some stationary ether isn't it?i want to know what convinced you about both the stands? because i am perplexed
Don't read anything into that. Phinds corrected his statement as soon as he understood the setup clearly.

There is no evidence for a luminiferous aether.
 

Q: What is light reflection?

Light reflection is the process in which light bounces off a surface, changing its direction and intensity. This is due to the fact that light is made up of photons, which are particles that can be absorbed or reflected by the atoms and molecules in a material.

Q: How does light reflection affect our perception of color?

Light reflection plays a major role in our perception of color. When light hits an object, certain wavelengths are absorbed while others are reflected. The wavelengths that are reflected determine the color we see. For example, an object that appears red absorbs all colors except for red, which is reflected back to our eyes.

Q: What is the law of reflection?

The law of reflection states that the angle of incidence (the angle at which light hits a surface) is equal to the angle of reflection (the angle at which light bounces off the surface). This means that the incoming and outgoing light rays are at equal angles to the surface.

Q: Can light reflection be measured?

Yes, light reflection can be measured using a device called a spectrophotometer. This device measures the amount of light that is reflected off a surface at different wavelengths. This information can be used to determine the reflectance of a material, which is a measure of how much light is reflected compared to how much is absorbed.

Q: How does light reflection contribute to the formation of images?

Light reflection is essential in the formation of images. When light is reflected off an object, it travels to our eyes and forms an image. This is how we are able to see objects and shapes. The smoothness or roughness of a surface can also affect the quality of the image formed through light reflection.

Similar threads

  • Special and General Relativity
Replies
2
Views
565
  • Special and General Relativity
2
Replies
51
Views
2K
  • Special and General Relativity
Replies
15
Views
314
  • Special and General Relativity
Replies
2
Views
310
  • Special and General Relativity
Replies
6
Views
2K
  • Special and General Relativity
Replies
18
Views
1K
  • Special and General Relativity
3
Replies
89
Views
3K
  • Special and General Relativity
Replies
4
Views
1K
  • Special and General Relativity
2
Replies
45
Views
3K
  • Special and General Relativity
Replies
6
Views
1K
Back
Top