- #1
thetexan
- 266
- 11
I'm trying to study on light velocity and relativity. And I have a few questions I hope someone can make clear to me. Please try to not use math but just explain in layman's terms if possible.
I know the light is measured at the same speed regardless of the observer. Why? More to my point...why is light special in this regard? Is it due to the velocity?
For example...if apples traveled at the speed of apples, 182,000 mps would they be measured at the same velocity regardless of the observer? Is it the velocity that makes it so?
Or...is it something about the THING that is doing the traveling at 182,000...that is, light...that makes this so? In which case, if light maxed out at 100,000 mps would we see the same effect?
Is it that light is the fastest carrier of information that makes it so? I know this is hypothethical but what if we could transmit thoughts and thoughts were found to travel at 500,000 mps would that make them obedient to the same idea that the thought speed will always be measured at 500,000 mps regardless of the frame of observance?
In other words, does "same measured velocity, regardless of the observer" principle apply only to light or would it apply to anything that would go that fast, with light just happening to be the fast thing in our universe?
What about light makes this principle particular to light? Would an apple traveling at .99 the speed of light seem to be .99c to any observer or would velocity be cumulative? If I was in a car traveling at .5c and threw a baseball backward at .99c would an observer measure the ball at .49c?
Again, what characteristic about this thing we call light that makes it obedient to this principle when nothing else is?
This may be confusing but I wonder about this.
thanks
tex
I know the light is measured at the same speed regardless of the observer. Why? More to my point...why is light special in this regard? Is it due to the velocity?
For example...if apples traveled at the speed of apples, 182,000 mps would they be measured at the same velocity regardless of the observer? Is it the velocity that makes it so?
Or...is it something about the THING that is doing the traveling at 182,000...that is, light...that makes this so? In which case, if light maxed out at 100,000 mps would we see the same effect?
Is it that light is the fastest carrier of information that makes it so? I know this is hypothethical but what if we could transmit thoughts and thoughts were found to travel at 500,000 mps would that make them obedient to the same idea that the thought speed will always be measured at 500,000 mps regardless of the frame of observance?
In other words, does "same measured velocity, regardless of the observer" principle apply only to light or would it apply to anything that would go that fast, with light just happening to be the fast thing in our universe?
What about light makes this principle particular to light? Would an apple traveling at .99 the speed of light seem to be .99c to any observer or would velocity be cumulative? If I was in a car traveling at .5c and threw a baseball backward at .99c would an observer measure the ball at .49c?
Again, what characteristic about this thing we call light that makes it obedient to this principle when nothing else is?
This may be confusing but I wonder about this.
thanks
tex