Author Topic: im confused (physics related) (Read 357 times)

vorticon · « **on:** February 07, 2004, 11:58:03 AM »

if it takes 7 minutes for light to get from the sun to the earth how long does the light think it takes??? why would it take (on earth) more than 4 years at the speed of light for a ship to get to alpha centuri if light itself (to our measurment on earth) only takes 4 years to do the trip???

the closer to the speed of light the higher your mass becomes- thats why we cant get to the speed of light due to the needing of infinate fuel-the standard reason why we cant get to the speed of light...

well if the fuel is on the ship wouldent the mass of the fuel we have BECOME greater the closer we got to the speed of light and therefore we have that "infinate" fuel needed???

Hawklore · « **Reply #1 on:** February 07, 2004, 12:11:04 PM »

Dunno,

Ask Hermione...

maslo · « **Reply #2 on:** February 07, 2004, 12:21:11 PM »

when something become bigger, it doesnt mean, that it become more on material

man you got realy cool problem

vorticon · « **Reply #3 on:** February 07, 2004, 03:34:38 PM »

Sway · « **Reply #4 on:** February 07, 2004, 03:39:57 PM »

Orel is a dweeb...

pugg666 · « **Reply #5 on:** February 07, 2004, 04:11:58 PM »

Quote

well if the fuel is on the ship wouldent the mass of the fuel we have BECOME greater the closer we got to the speed of light and therefore we have that "infinate" fuel needed???

not really..no, assuming the engines still need the same volume of fuel for a given speed. Only the mass of the fuel is increasing, you still have the same amount.

And don't forget that the mass of the ship, cargo, equipement, and personel increase as well. It's all relative

ra · « **Reply #6 on:** February 07, 2004, 04:25:22 PM »

Quote

why would it take (on earth) more than 4 years at the speed of light for a ship to get to alpha centuri if light itself (to our measurment on earth) only takes 4 years to do the trip???

Huh?

Holden McGroin · « **Reply #7 on:** February 08, 2004, 02:41:01 AM »

Figure it out with a Lorentz contraction...

Time in the moving system will be observed by a stationary observer to be running slower by the factor:

v2 / c2 = 1, 1-1 = 0, sqrt of 0 = 0, 1/0 is infinite, t'=t/0, t'=infinite, time will move infinitely slower on the lightbeam as time for a stationary observer, hence time does not pass on the lightbeam.

-tronski- · « **Reply #8 on:** February 08, 2004, 05:33:57 AM »

Quote

Originally posted by Holden McGroin
Figure it out with a Lorentz contraction...

Time in the moving system will be observed by a stationary observer to be running slower by the factor:

v2 / c2 = 1, 1-1 = 0, sqrt of 0 = 0, 1/0 is infinite, t'=t/0, t'=infinite, time will move infinitely slower on the lightbeam as time for a stationary observer, hence time does not pass on the lightbeam.

head....hurts....bad

Tronsky