Universe expanded faster than the speed of light?

In summary, the expansion of the universe is not limited by the speed of light because it is the stretching of space itself, not objects moving through space. This means that the speed of light is still constant and not affected by the expansion. Scientists have observed the expansion of the universe and confirmed that it has expanded faster than the speed of light at some point. However, this does not violate the laws of physics, as the expansion of space is not limited by the laws that apply to objects within space. The expansion of the universe will not cause objects to move faster than the speed of light, as the expansion of space and motion through space are two different phenomena.
  • #1
intel
16
0
hi

I may have missed something very simple here, but does inflation not suggest that in the very short time inflation lasted the universe expanded faster than the speed of light?

thanks
intel
 
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  • #2
See entry entitled "Big Bang" - same question.
 

1. How is it possible for the universe to expand faster than the speed of light?

While the speed of light is often considered to be the ultimate speed limit in the universe, it only applies to objects moving through space. The expansion of the universe is a different phenomenon, and it is not limited by the speed of light. This is because the expansion of the universe is not caused by objects moving through space, but rather by the stretching of space itself.

2. Does this mean that the speed of light is not constant?

No, the speed of light is still constant. The speed of light is the same in all reference frames, and it is not affected by the expansion of the universe. This means that light can still travel at the speed of light, even if the space through which it travels is expanding faster than the speed of light.

3. How do we know that the universe expanded faster than the speed of light?

Scientists have observed the expansion of the universe through various methods, such as measuring the redshift of galaxies and the cosmic microwave background radiation. These observations have shown that the universe is expanding at an accelerating rate, which means that at some point in its history, it expanded faster than the speed of light.

4. Does this violate the laws of physics?

No, the expansion of the universe does not violate the laws of physics. While it may seem counterintuitive, the expansion of space is not limited by the laws of physics that apply to objects within space. In fact, the theory of general relativity, which describes the expansion of the universe, is a fundamental part of our current understanding of physics.

5. Could the expansion of the universe eventually lead to objects moving faster than the speed of light?

No, the expansion of the universe will not cause objects to move faster than the speed of light. This is because the expansion of space is not the same as motion through space. Objects within space are still limited by the speed of light, but the expansion of space itself is not limited by this speed. Therefore, objects will never reach or exceed the speed of light due to the expansion of the universe.

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