Is 'C' Faster Than the Speed of Light?

AI Thread Summary
The speed of light, denoted as 'c', remains constant at approximately 300,000 km/s regardless of the observer's speed, a key principle of special relativity. Observers in different frames of reference, including those on airplanes or moving at high speeds, all measure 'c' as the same value. This constancy is rooted in the wave equation for electric and magnetic fields. The discussion emphasizes that there is no variation in the speed of light, even when measured by different observers. Therefore, 'c' is always equal to itself, affirming its status as a fundamental constant in physics.
aby001234
Messages
7
Reaction score
0
Is it same as 'c'?
or is it greater (though it may be very small difference) than the normal
speed of light?
 
Science news on Phys.org


The speed of light is 'c' no matter how fast an observer is going. That's one of the guiding principals behind special relativity.
 


aby001234 said:
Is it same as 'c'?
or is it greater (though it may be very small difference) than the normal
speed of light?

Passengers aboard airplane measure it as 300,000km/s (c).
Onlookers on Earth on measure it as 300,000km/s (c).
Aliens passing by overhead at .9c measure it as 300,000km/s (c).
 


the speed of light comes from the solution to wave equation for E and B fields.
And then number is constant.
 
Thread 'A quartet of epi-illumination methods'

Thread 'A quartet of epi-illumination methods'

Well, it took almost 20 years (!!!), but I finally obtained a set of epi-phase microscope objectives (Zeiss). The principles of epi-phase contrast is nearly identical to transillumination phase contrast, but the phase ring is a 1/8 wave retarder rather than a 1/4 wave retarder (because with epi-illumination, the light passes through the ring twice). This method was popular only for a very short period of time before epi-DIC (differential interference contrast) became widely available. So...
View full post »

Thread 'Effective absorption coefficient of gold nanoparticles'

I am currently undertaking a research internship where I am modelling the heating of silicon wafers with a 515 nm femtosecond laser. In order to increase the absorption of the laser into the oxide layer on top of the wafer it was suggested we use gold nanoparticles. I was tasked with modelling the optical properties of a 5nm gold nanoparticle, in particular the absorption cross section, using COMSOL Multiphysics. My model seems to be getting correct values for the absorption coefficient and...
View full post »

Thread 'The focal length of the eye and image inversion'

After my surgery this year, gas remained in my eye for a while. The light air bubbles appeared to sink to the bottom, and I realized that the brain was processing the information to invert the up/down/left/right image transferred to the retina. I have a question about optics and ophthalmology. Does the inversion of the image transferred to the retina depend on the position of the intraocular focal point of the lens of the eye? For example, in people with farsightedness, the focal point is...
View full post »

Similar threads

I What travels faster: visible light in water or X-rays in liquid mercury?
Replies
6
Views
2K
Faster than light: Instantaneous lever
Replies
14
Views
3K
Can Light Travel Faster Than the Speed of Light in Glass?
Replies
18
Views
2K
Nothing can travel faster than the speed of light
Replies
13
Views
3K
Speed of the outside of a wheel faster than the speed of light
Replies
12
Views
2K
Faster than light communication
Replies
6
Views
2K
Faster than the speed of light (pulling on a string)?
Replies
4
Views
2K
Speed of Light when not in a vacuum?
Replies
5
Views
6K
Will this travel faster than light
Replies
16
Views
3K
Can Faster-than-Light Travel Ever Be Possible?
Replies
9
Views
2K

Hot Threads

Recent Insights

Back
Top