Faster than the speed of light during acceleration?

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SUMMARY

The discussion centers on the implications of special relativity when considering acceleration and relative velocities. It establishes that an object can achieve a velocity greater than the speed of light (c) relative to an accelerating reference frame, specifically when analyzing the scenario of two points, A and B, separated by 1·109 m. The Lorentz factor (γ=7.09) is applied to demonstrate that the distance between A and B contracts to 1.41·108 m during acceleration to 0.99c. The conclusion asserts that while an object can exceed c in a non-inertial frame, it cannot do so in an inertial frame, raising questions about the nature of velocity in different reference frames.

PREREQUISITES
  • Understanding of special relativity principles
  • Familiarity with Lorentz transformations
  • Knowledge of inertial and non-inertial reference frames
  • Basic grasp of the concept of the speed of light (c)
NEXT STEPS
  • Study the implications of Lorentz contraction in various reference frames
  • Research the differences between inertial and non-inertial frames in physics
  • Explore the concept of proper time and its relation to acceleration
  • Examine advanced topics in special relativity, such as relativistic velocity addition
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Physicists, students of theoretical physics, and anyone interested in the nuances of special relativity and the behavior of objects under acceleration.

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Let A and B be two points that are at rest relative to an inertial frame S. Let's say the distance between them is 1·109 m.
In the beginning you are at rest relative to S, but during exactly 1 second (counted by your wristwatch), you have managed to accelerate up to the velocity v=0.99c. Let's imagine you survived the acceleration.

Your velocity vector (relative to S) is parallel to the line segment AB.
Such that when your velocity has reached 0.99c relative to S, (From now on, we will only use your reference frame.) the distance between A and B must be (1·109/γ) m where γ=7.09 is the lorentz factor.
That means the distance between them is now 1.41·108 m.
So during a second, the distance between them decreased by 8.59·108 m.

Let's say A had the highest velocity during the time you accelerated. Then A could not have moved less than (8.59·108/2) m = 4.295·108 m which is about 4.3·108 m.
That means the highest velocity A had, could not have been less than about 4.3·108 m/s (since it lasted for 1 second).
And that velocity is the same as 1.4c, which is above the speed of light.

So my conclusion is that an object with uniform motion can have a velocity above c relative to an accelerating reference frame, but not relative to an inertial frame. Is this correct or have I done something wrong?
 
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In non-inertial frames the coordinate speed of light is not limited to c, nor is the speed of material objects.
 

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