Is the speed of light affected by relative motion?

In summary: for clearing this up for me! in summary, the principle of relativity is the same for every frame of reference, but the speed of light remains the same no matter how fast you're moving.
  • #1
paras02
31
0
Hello!
if a car(A) is moving with a speed 2m/s and another car(B) is moving in opposite direction with speed 3m/s. then velocity of car(A) with respect to (B) is 5 or -5m/s .
so my question is why the same principle does not follow with speed of light as according to theory of relativity speed of light remains same from every frame of refrence ?
or i can say that if i move with a speed c/2( c is the velocity of light ) opposite to the direction in which light is propogating the velocity of light w.r.t me will be 3v/2 or -3v/2.
Isn't this true?
 
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  • #3
paras02 said:
why the same principle does not follow with speed of light

Simply put - that's not the way our universe works. Feynman said, "You don't like it? Go somewhere else!"
 
  • #4
paras02 said:
Hello!
if a car(A) is moving with a speed 2m/s and another car(B) is moving in opposite direction with speed 3m/s. then velocity of car(A) with respect to (B) is 5 or -5m/s .
so my question is why the same principle does not follow with speed of light as according to theory of relativity speed of light remains same from every frame of refrence ?
or i can say that if i move with a speed c/2( c is the velocity of light ) opposite to the direction in which light is propogating the velocity of light w.r.t me will be 3v/2 or -3v/2.
Isn't this true?
Actually, the law is the same :smile:. It's only that you didn't know which is it:

V = (v1 + v2)/(1 + v1*v2/c2).

Now put 2m/s as v1 and 5m/s as v2 and compute V.
Then do the same with v1 or v2 or both, equal to c = 299,792,458 m/s.

--
lightarrow
 
  • #5
thankyou guys
 

1. How can the speed of light change?

The speed of light is a fundamental constant in physics, meaning it is thought to be the same in all circumstances and cannot be changed. However, there are some theories that suggest the speed of light may have been different in the early universe or under extreme conditions such as near a black hole.

2. Has the speed of light ever been measured to be different?

There have been several experiments that claimed to have measured a different speed of light, but these results have either been disproven or were due to experimental errors. The widely accepted value for the speed of light is approximately 299,792,458 meters per second in a vacuum.

3. Can the speed of light be exceeded?

According to our current understanding of physics, it is not possible for an object with mass to travel at or above the speed of light. This is due to Einstein's theory of relativity, which states that the speed of light is the maximum speed at which all matter and information can travel.

4. How does the medium through which light travels affect its speed?

The speed of light is affected by the medium through which it travels. In a vacuum, light travels at its maximum speed of approximately 299,792,458 meters per second. However, when traveling through a medium such as air or water, the speed of light is slightly slower due to interactions with the atoms and molecules in the substance.

5. Can the speed of light be used to measure distance?

Yes, the speed of light is used in various scientific and technological applications to measure distance. For example, radar uses the time it takes for a radio wave to travel and reflect back to determine the distance of an object. GPS also uses the speed of light to calculate the distance between satellites and receivers on Earth.

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