Light and Time: Exploring Relativity

In summary, the conversation discusses the concept of time dilation and how it affects the perception of light for an observer traveling close to the speed of light. The observer's clocks appear to run slower, but this does not fully explain why light coming from behind also appears to be moving at the same speed. The concept of relativity of simultaneity is introduced as a possible explanation. The conversation ends with the acknowledgment that further research is needed to fully understand this phenomenon.
  • #1
neh4pres
45
0
[SOLVED] light and time

ok from what i understand if I am traveling just under the speed of light and looking foward the the light is aproching me at 186000 mps... there's 2 unites of measure here distance and time.. from what i know my time slows.. so the light seems to be reaching me at the speed of light instead of allmost double the speed of light... here's where my thought experiments come in.. if i turn around and look back in the direction I am coming from and time for me is still slow it should seem that light would be reaching me at 1/4 the speed of light. i know this not to be true... but it seems that if I am looking behind me at close to the speed of light my time would have to speed up to compensate and make me and any insterments percieve that the speed of light is still 186000miles per second
 
Physics news on Phys.org
  • #2
Only to the observer who sees you moving at that high speed will your clocks run slowly. As far as you are concerned, your clocks run just as they always do.
 
  • #3
neither time dilation nor length contraction can explain why both the light coming at you head-on and the light coming from behind both appear to you to be moving at the same speed. that is where loss of simultaneity comes in.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Relativity_of_simultaneity
 
  • #4
ok i realize that to me everything is normal and and my clocks runing to an observer explaines y light coming at me from in front still seems to come at me at 186000 mp(s) cause (s) seconds are slower for me... however if i look backwords light will need to be coming at me at 186000mps... however won't my clock observed from someone watching me have to be running faster for this to happen..
 
  • #5
ok thanks granpa .. i will look into this... not a bad question for someone who gets their knowledge from sci channel
 

1. What is the relationship between light and time in relativity?

The theory of relativity states that the speed of light is constant and does not change regardless of the observer's frame of reference. This means that time can appear to pass at different rates for different observers, depending on their relative speeds and distances from the source of light. This phenomenon is known as time dilation and is a fundamental aspect of Einstein's theory of relativity.

2. How does light travel through space?

Light travels through space as electromagnetic waves, which do not require a medium to propagate. This is in contrast to sound waves, which require a medium such as air or water to travel through. The speed of light in a vacuum is approximately 299,792,458 meters per second and is considered to be the fastest speed possible in the universe.

3. Can light be affected by gravity?

Yes, light can be affected by gravity. According to Einstein's theory of general relativity, gravity is not a force between masses, but rather a curvature of spacetime caused by the presence of massive objects. This means that light, which travels in a straight line through spacetime, can be bent or distorted by the gravitational pull of massive objects like stars or black holes.

4. How does the speed of light affect our perception of time?

The constant speed of light is a fundamental principle of relativity, which states that the laws of physics are the same for all observers in uniform motion. This means that time can appear to pass at different rates depending on the observer's relative speed and distance from the source of light. This phenomenon is known as time dilation and is a key concept in understanding the relationship between light and time in relativity.

5. Can anything travel faster than the speed of light?

According to the theory of relativity, the speed of light is the fastest speed possible in the universe. This means that nothing, including matter, energy, or information, can travel faster than the speed of light. While there have been some scientific experiments that have claimed to observe particles traveling faster than light, these findings have been refuted and are not widely accepted by the scientific community.

Similar threads

B Difference between special relativity and redshift?
    • Special and General Relativity
Replies
11
Views
1K
B Time Dilation: Is This a Reasonable Explanation?
    • Special and General Relativity
2
Replies
45
Views
3K
B Question about the relative motion of an eye relative to light source
    • Special and General Relativity
Replies
3
Views
479
I Analyzing Time Dilation in a Spaceship-Mars Scenario
    • Special and General Relativity
Replies
14
Views
692
I Is it only experience that's relative?
    • Special and General Relativity
Replies
11
Views
643
B Problem about postulate of the invariance of the speed of light
    • Special and General Relativity
Replies
33
Views
2K
I Light clock running faster than light?
    • Special and General Relativity
Replies
4
Views
313
I Can someone falsify this analogy contradicting time dilation?
    • Special and General Relativity
Replies
25
Views
662
I Does time dilation occur due to the speed limit of light or c?
    • Special and General Relativity
2
Replies
47
Views
2K
I A question about Relativity of Time using Time dilation experiment
    • Special and General Relativity
Replies
9
Views
253

Hot Threads

Recent Insights

Back
Top