Race across the Universe:Who is on edge? Force Vs. Light

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SUMMARY

The discussion centers on the comparison of the speed of light and the propagation of forces, specifically addressing misconceptions about "speed of force." Participants clarify that nothing travels faster than the speed of light in a vacuum, while forces like gravity and electromagnetism propagate at this speed. The conversation also touches on the nature of the universe, emphasizing that it may be infinitely large or wrap around itself, and that the universe is distinct from space. Key points include the clarification that force is not an object and thus lacks a defined speed.

PREREQUISITES
  • Understanding of basic physics concepts, including speed of light and force propagation.
  • Familiarity with gravitational influence and its relationship to light speed.
  • Knowledge of particle physics, particularly regarding bosons and their mass.
  • Awareness of cosmological theories regarding the universe's structure and boundaries.
NEXT STEPS
  • Research the properties of light and its behavior in different mediums, such as water and vacuum.
  • Explore the concept of gravitational waves and their propagation speed.
  • Study the differences between strong and weak nuclear forces and their associated bosons.
  • Investigate cosmological models that describe the universe's shape and boundaries.
USEFUL FOR

Anyone interested in astrophysics, physics enthusiasts, and students seeking to understand the fundamental principles of light, force, and the universe's structure.

Reogl
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Hey there guys,
I remembered one stormy night while playing Atari racing game with my son..he asked me: "what is faster force of light?" I escaped with a reply .. "flash first..thunder later" .Suddenly the power was out. My kid went to fetch the flashlight and said to me.."look! push first ..flash later". I know those were naive notions, but seriously today i am certain there is an answer.
Who's winning?
thanks
 
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What do you mean by "speed of force?" Do you mean that you shove on one end of an object and count how long it will take for the other end to feel the force?

I'm pretty sure it'll move at the speed of sound under that definition, which is nowhere close to the speed of light.
 
In short, nothing travels faster than the speed of light.
Chris
 
Its like..what if the light journey is being affected by gravity (or curvature?) along the way.. classic sample is the rabbit-turtle race where the rabbit being confident have napped himself to perdition.
 
Reogl said:
Its like..what if the light journey is being affected by gravity (or curvature?) along the way.. classic sample is the rabbit-turtle race where the rabbit being confident have napped himself to perdition.

What is your point? What part of "nothing travels faster than light" do you not understand?
 
"nothing travels faster than light" in vacuum.
In water, for example, electrons can easily travel faster than light. This gives the blue glow in nuclear reactors (cherenkov radiation).
If you care about the total time from A to B, you can also consider a mirror system for light.

Anyway, your question is quite unclear.
 
I think the question is, "Which is faster, force or light?" Force doesn't really have a speed because it is not a thing, but an effect. However, force does have a speed of propagation, which depends on which force you are talking about. The force of gravity propagates at the speed of light. The force of electromagnetism propagates at the speed of light because propagating electromagnetic waves _is_ light. I think the strong force and weak force both propagate at slower than the speed of light because their associated bosons are massive.
 
Yeah, i mistook that speed comparison is the same as which ever is ahead on the edge of the Universe is faster.. i was tipped that the "speed of force" = c , the only difference therefore is which (light or force) have the head start, but since the light some how can be held back by force (GR) ,it would result to something else.. well thank you for reply

Rephrasing the Query : What is it there at the very boundary of our Universe? What we ought to feel gravity or radiation?
 
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There is no boundary to the universe, as far as we know. Either the universe is infinitely large, or the universe wraps around on itself. The universe did not start as a point.
 
  • #10
Khashishi said:
There is no boundary to the universe, as far as we know. Either the universe is infinitely large, or the universe wraps around on itself. The universe did not start as a point.

The SPACE is confirmed flat and open..but Universe is not Space
 
  • #11
Reogl said:
The SPACE is confirmed flat and open..but Universe is not Space

They are sort of one and the same, think about it for a while.

I don't understand your point/question though.
 
  • #12
Vorde said:
They are sort of one and the same, think about it for a while.

I don't understand your point/question though.

well..i don't like research work. i guess it will really take a while
I just try the similar threads below.
Thanks again
 
Last edited:
  • #13
Khashishi said:
I think the strong force and weak force both propagate at slower than the speed of light because their associated bosons are massive.
Gluons (bosons of the strong interaction) are massless.

"Speed of a force" is simply not well-defined - a force is not an object.
"Speed of propagation of gravitational influence" is the speed of light.
 
  • #14
Reogl said:
well..i don't like research work. i guess it will really take a while
I just try the similar threads below.
Thanks again

If you're interested in astrophysics but you don't like "research work", you might want to browse through Wikipedia articles about the universe and space. They're usually suited for the general public and it would probably be less chaotic than sifting through random posts in the Phycics Forums.

Chris
 

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