Understanding Relative Motion: Observing Speeding Cars vs Stationary Cars

  • Thread starter Thread starter WanWon
  • Start date Start date
  • Tags Tags
    Car
Click For Summary

Homework Help Overview

The discussion revolves around the concept of relative motion, specifically examining how the perception of speed changes based on the observer's frame of reference. The original poster questions the observation of a stationary car while driving at zero speed, suggesting it may appear as if they are moving backward relative to the other car.

Discussion Character

  • Exploratory, Conceptual clarification, Assumption checking

Approaches and Questions Raised

  • Participants explore the idea of relative speed and how it is perceived from different frames of reference. There are attempts to clarify how one car can appear stationary while the other is in motion, and discussions about the implications of assuming different frames of reference.

Discussion Status

The conversation is ongoing, with participants providing insights into the nature of relative motion and questioning the assumptions behind the observations. Some guidance on the concept of relative speed has been offered, but no consensus has been reached regarding the implications of these observations.

Contextual Notes

Participants are discussing the implications of relative speed without a definitive resolution, and there is an acknowledgment of the need to consider different frames of reference in understanding motion.

WanWon
Messages
2
Reaction score
0

Homework Statement


If i was driving a car with no speed and there was another car i would see beside it moving with a speed forward, wouldn't it seem like i was going backwards?

Homework Equations


The Attempt at a Solution



the car with a speed is driving at x speed and mine is driving at 0 speed, right? So if x speed in the time "T" drives the car forward it seems as if i look outside my car that the other car is stationary but my car is moving.
 
Physics news on Phys.org
if you don't look at the tires, yes it would. And this is called the relative speed, everything depends on your frame of referance. if u want to make urself stable, the other car would be moving. If u want to make urself moving and everything else not moving, this will be the case
 
exactly the car seems to be driving backwards if we assume the surroundings are just air :zzz:
 
Last edited:
Well if you assume that the other car is stationary then you will have to be moving backward bacause the ralative speed between the two cars has to be constant.(Note changing the frame of reference doesn't shange the relative speed)
 

Similar threads

  • · Replies 4 ·
Replies
4
Views
2K
Replies
11
Views
2K
  • · Replies 13 ·
Replies
13
Views
1K
  • · Replies 51 ·
2
Replies
51
Views
4K
  • · Replies 18 ·
Replies
18
Views
2K
  • · Replies 1 ·
Replies
1
Views
1K
  • · Replies 30 ·
2
Replies
30
Views
3K
Replies
15
Views
4K
  • · Replies 12 ·
Replies
12
Views
2K
  • · Replies 57 ·
2
Replies
57
Views
8K