Author Topic: Could the speed of light be a different number? (Read 810 times)

Meatwad · « **on:** July 05, 2005, 09:05:34 PM »

Back when, how did they come up with the answer that the speed of light travels 186,000 miles/second? What if the number is really a different number, and all calculations to different stars/systems are actually closer or farrther away?

XNachoX · « **Reply #1 on:** July 05, 2005, 10:03:43 PM »

see rule # 7

AdmRose · « **Reply #2 on:** July 05, 2005, 10:27:58 PM »

The speed of light is a theory. Theories are insurance against actually having to be right.

JB66 · « **Reply #3 on:** July 05, 2005, 10:34:21 PM »

I always thought that the speed of light was a variable....it has mass and can be affected by gravity.

StarOfAfrica2 · « **Reply #4 on:** July 05, 2005, 10:37:30 PM »

Speed of light is a constant.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Speed_of_light

Reference the Wikipedia. One of the greatest inventions of the information age.

JB66 · « **Reply #5 on:** July 05, 2005, 10:40:18 PM »

Quote

In a sense, any light travelling through a medium other than a vacuum travels below c as a result of refraction. However, certain materials have an exceptionally high refractive index: in particular, the optical density of a Bose-Einstein condensate can be very high. In 1999, a team of scientists led by Lene Hau were able to slow the speed of a light beam to about 17 metres per second, and, in 2001, they were able to momentarily stop a beam.

Ok...this is what I was think of...

oboe · « **Reply #6 on:** July 05, 2005, 10:40:56 PM »

Heres how the speed of light was determined, I guess:

http://www.colorado.edu/physics/2000/waves_particles/lightspeed_evidence.html

Meatwad · « **Reply #7 on:** July 05, 2005, 10:51:33 PM »

Lets say there was a planet that is 1/10 light year away (for a close mission), given the speed of light is 186,000 miles/sec. The planet is stationary, neither moving farther nor closer from the launch point of a vehicle heading to investigate it.

Given the speed of the vehicle as a constant, the vehicle travels to the star with an estimated arrival date derived from the vehicles speed in relation to the speed of light.

If the vehicle arrives there not on its estimated date, but the actual arrival date, this would prove the speed of light is no longer its current value, but a totally different number.

But also if it can be proven lightspeed is infact a varible, this would totally throw current measurements out the window as the possible distance can not be accurately measured between two bodies.

StarOfAfrica2 · « **Reply #8 on:** July 05, 2005, 10:52:10 PM »

Quote

Originally posted by JB66
Ok...this is what I was think of...

Which is not actually a measure of the speed of light, its a measure of the refractive index of a substance affecting a light beam.

JB66 · « **Reply #9 on:** July 05, 2005, 10:56:37 PM »

I remember reading an article stating that gravity affects the speed of light...something along the line of a black hole(keep it clean guys) bending light back into the event horizon.

It's been awhile, and I don't really remember where I read it...

I Could be confusing several theories...I haven't read anything on it in years.

StarOfAfrica2 · « **Reply #10 on:** July 05, 2005, 10:59:47 PM »

Meatwad, I could just as easily say that calling the color of the sky "blue" is totally subjective because it relys on our interpretation of color. Another species that sees color differently might see the sky as yellow. So therefore we shouldnt call the sky "blue".

Irregardless of what we see or someone else sees, the reflected wavelength of light that gives the sky "color" remains constant. You can call it anything you please. The POV being different also makes no difference, except to the viewer. Calling it yellow or calling it blue doesnt mean its different, if we understand that their yellow = our blue.

You can try to twist the words around all you like. But at this stage of the game, c is a constant in all physics equations, and in all applications as well.

B17Skull12 · « **Reply #11 on:** July 05, 2005, 11:09:15 PM »

the speed of light more than likely is infact a variable. Only if it passes by an large object (aka sun) blacks suck light in from its gravity so i don't think it can be a constant.

bu hey in an 11th grader.

Rolex · « **Reply #12 on:** July 06, 2005, 12:00:20 AM »

The speed of light is a constant. A constant cannot be variable. It is not a theory. The speed of light is constant, regardless of whether you are approaching or receding from the source.

If you are interested in physics, I urge you to talk to your teacher or read some books to understand that it is a fundamental constant and building block to appreciating and understanding science and physics. You cannot advance to calculus-based physics without this understanding. You cannot become an engineer without this fundamental understanding.

Leslie · « **Reply #13 on:** July 06, 2005, 02:33:01 AM »

Light is an additive system and consists of a color spectrum, each color having a different wavelength. The primary additive colors are CYAN, MAGENTA and VIRIDIAN.

This is caused by our sun and may be different in space. There is no color in space (or very little of it, a space voyage would be boring in that sense except for color enhancement devices.)

It is the bending of light in our atmosphere that causes color, it slows down a bit when refracted and we see it.

However, light is so fast most times we cannot see it, or may not be able to in space. I don't think light slows down or changes speed enough for mathematic applications, but I'd venture to guess it does vary slightly in speed.

Les

cpxxx · « **Reply #14 on:** July 06, 2005, 02:42:13 AM »

Well it's all relative..................... ............I'll get my coat:(