The speed of sound and The speed of Light

Click For Summary
SUMMARY

The discussion centers on the differences between traveling faster than the speed of sound and the speed of light. It is established that while one can travel faster than the speed of sound and still hear sounds inside the plane, traveling faster than the speed of light is impossible and does not yield any observable phenomena. As one approaches the speed of light, visual perception changes, with objects behind appearing in a higher spectrum and those in front in a lower spectrum. The impossibility of exceeding light speed negates any theoretical exploration of its effects.

PREREQUISITES
  • Understanding of sound propagation and Doppler effect
  • Basic knowledge of the theory of relativity
  • Familiarity with electromagnetic spectrum concepts
  • Concept of speed thresholds in physics
NEXT STEPS
  • Research the Doppler effect in sound and light
  • Study Einstein's theory of relativity and its implications on speed limits
  • Explore the electromagnetic spectrum and its relation to speed
  • Investigate the physics of supersonic flight and its effects on sound perception
USEFUL FOR

Physicists, aerospace engineers, students of physics, and anyone interested in the fundamental principles of speed and perception in relation to sound and light.

timejim
Messages
42
Reaction score
0
If you travel faster than the spped of sound, then you do not hear anything. If you were to travel faster than the speed of light, then you would NOT see anything.?
 
Science news on Phys.org
Greetings !

Theoreticly - yes. However, it is impossible to travel
faster than the speed of light. Nevertheless, lots
of cool things happen as you get close to it - you
see the things behind you in a higher spectrum and
the things in front of you in a lower spectrum.

Live long and prosper.
 
If you are in a plane traveling faster than the speed of sound, you can still hear perfectly fine. And if the noise of the plane were not too loud, you'd be able to hear things outside the plane perfectly fine as well (just with a nice big doppler shift). You just wouldn't be able to hear anything behind you.
 
If you are in a plane traveling faster than sound, there are two things to consider.

1) The air inside the plane is moving along at the same speed as you, so sound travels normally in there in relation to you.

2) The plane is basically outpacing the propagation of sound through the air outside the plane.
 
Since it is impossible to travel faster than the speed of light, there is no meaning to try to hypothesize what is going to happen when you travel faster than light, so, no, there is not even a theoretical phenomena.
 

Similar threads

Undergrad What travels faster: visible light in water or X-rays in liquid mercury?
  • · Replies 6 ·
Replies
6
Views
3K
High School Can Light Speed Be Increased by Straightening Its Wave Path?
  • · Replies 11 ·
Replies
11
Views
828
High School Is light breaking its own speed limit when cornering?
  • · Replies 25 ·
Replies
25
Views
2K
High School Let me ask a thing about the Speed of Light
  • · Replies 6 ·
Replies
6
Views
2K
Undergrad Achieving the speed of light at the end of a whip
  • · Replies 15 ·
Replies
15
Views
6K
Undergrad Nothing can travel faster than the speed of light
  • · Replies 13 ·
Replies
13
Views
3K
High School Speed of light versus wavelength
  • · Replies 14 ·
Replies
14
Views
2K
Graduate Mass, Light Speed, and the Mystery of Photons Explained
  • · Replies 19 ·
Replies
19
Views
2K
Graduate Speed of Light when not in a vacuum?
  • · Replies 5 ·
Replies
5
Views
6K
Undergrad Several questions about the speed of light
  • · Replies 12 ·
Replies
12
Views
12K