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mtitta
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Does everything move incrementally at the speed of light?
maverick_starstrider said:..."only massless particles move at the speed of light" isn't really true and one could argue that everything moves at the speed of light, or at least electrons do.
DaveC426913 said:Electrons do not move at the speed of light. No particles with mass move at the speed of light.
maverick_starstrider said:"It may be easily verified that a measurement of a component of the velocity must lead to the results +/-c in a relativistic theory..." -Principles of Quantum Mechanics (Paul Dirac).
Take it up with Dirac.
One possible geometrical interpretation of the special theory of relativity is that everything advances at c trough space-(proper)time:mtitta said:Does everything move incrementally at the speed of light?
A.T. said:One possible geometrical interpretation of the special theory of relativity is that everything advances at c trough space-(proper)time:
http://www.adamtoons.de/physics/relativity.swf
mtitta said:I guess it was a loaded question and I overgeneralized but that is what I do.I like to keep things at the most basic level as possible. So let me be more specific if all matter ultimately consists of subatomic particles and all subatomic particles have wave particle personalities would it be reasonable to think that all matter moves thru space as a wave (at C) but exists at rest as a particle. I am an electronics engeneer and I always found physics facinating so I hope I am not way off base on this one. It just seems logical that nature would keep it simple and only one speed would exist in the universe. ----Mike
sylas said:No; it isn't... and your link suggests nothing of the kind.
The quote from Dirac is about the uncertainty principle; and it does not actually mean an electron moves at the speed of light.
maverick_starstrider said:a) that quote has nothing to do with the uncertainty principle. It relates to the velocity eigenvalues of the Dirac Equation (which is like the schrodinger equation for an electron if one considers relativistic effects. Also, it was used by Dirac to posit the existence of antiparticles and is the first time that electron spin has come naturally as a degree of freedom of the solution (as opposed to the schrodinger equation where it can be artificially tacked on to yield the pauli equation)
The speed of light is a fundamental physical constant that represents the maximum speed at which all energy, matter, and information can travel in the universe. It is measured to be approximately 299,792,458 meters per second (m/s) in a vacuum, using specialized instruments such as lasers and interferometers.
According to the laws of physics, the speed of light is considered to be the cosmic speed limit and cannot be exceeded by any material object. However, certain theoretical concepts, such as wormholes and Alcubierre drives, propose ways to potentially surpass the speed of light, but they have not been proven to be possible.
The speed of light plays a crucial role in the theory of special relativity, which states that as an object approaches the speed of light, time slows down and space contracts. This phenomenon, known as time dilation and length contraction, has been proven through experiments and has significant implications in our understanding of the universe.
Based on current scientific evidence, the speed of light has remained constant throughout the history of the universe. However, there are some theories, such as varying speed of light (VSL) and variable constants, that propose the speed of light may have been different in the past or could change in the future.
The speed of light has a profound impact on our daily lives, as it is crucial in many modern technologies, including telecommunication, GPS navigation, and medical imaging. It also plays a significant role in astronomy, as the speed of light is used to measure the distance and age of objects in the universe.