| THEORIES WITH PROBLEMS - IS INFINITY REAL? -> Relativity to an extreme | Start A New Topic | Reply |
| Post Info | TOPIC: Relativity to an extreme |
| Posted By: Kevin Posted On: Sep 11, 2006 Views: 1043 | Relativity to an extreme Well if you're reading this then I probably lured you in by the topic title. This post does in fact have to do with relativity, however maybe not to its extreme. Unless your me in which case this is as extreme as it gets. lol OK here we go. First I wanna set the scenario. Please bare with me, I will try to make this as easy to imagine as possible. Picture a huge airplane and call this plane "plane A". When I say big I mean like the size of a 3D Rhode Island. Anyway, this plane is flying in the air at half the speed of light relative to the ground on the Earth. Yes, thats right, it's a super fast plane and one that we are most impressed with. Furthermore, inside of plane A there is completely empty space, *except for another big plane (plane B). Plane B is also flying at half the speed of light relative to plane A. Now granted, plane B would very quickly fly into a wall at some point, but think in just the time before that happens. My question (finally) is this: How fast is plane b moving relative to the ground of the Earth? I have always thought that that would mean that plane B is going the speed of light relative to the ground, but I feel like that couldn't be right because what if each plane was going one mph faster? Then plane B would be going faster than the speed of light, which can't happen..could it? Anyway, I'm sure this question won't be too hard to answer (for Einstein anyway). Thanks for the help. |
| Posted By: Keith Mayes Posted On: Sep 12, 2006 Views: 1039 | RE: Relativity to an extreme You raise an interesting question. If both planes are travelling, in total, at under light speed, then the speed of the internal plane, as measured by a ground based observer, will simply be the sum of the speeds of the two planes. If however, the total speed exceeds light speed them the ground based observer will not record the speed as being in excess of light speed. The theory of relativity gives mathematical proof of this, but it is too complicated for most people, myself included, to understand. We have to take Einstein's word for it, and the mathematical clever dicks who can understand it. |
| Posted By: Kevin Posted On: Sep 12, 2006 Views: 1036 | RE: Relativity to an extreme Thank you Keith, I understand what you're saying. I guess there are just properties of light and mathematical equations going on here that make this scenario uncomprehensible. Very interesting to think about though, especially if you take it even further, imagining more planes within planes, or if the planes were "see through", then what would it look like to the ground based observer. Anyway, I'm only 18, so I guess I have time to develop into one of those clever mathematical dicks. LOL. Ehhhh, then again, maybe not. Take care Keith...until my next question. |
| Posted By: Megabrain Posted On: Sep 18, 2006 Views: 1026 | RE: Relativity to an extreme I thought this thread was can anything real be infinite? well yes GOD is real and GOD is omnipotent. God created the heavenand the earth and all other things why can't you see that? |
| Posted By: Keith Mayes Posted On: Sep 19, 2006 Views: 1022 | RE: Relativity to an extreme My argument would be how can you see that? It's all down to a matter of belief and choice. |
| Posted By: tim Posted On: Jan 16, 2008 Views: 835 | RE: Relativity to an extreme i agree. it is a matter of opinion that god exists. if everyone belived that god exstists and created heaven and earth then scientists wouldn't be wanting to make theories of how the univers was formed etc. |
| Posted By: Andres Posted On: Feb 29, 2008 Views: 802 | RE: Relativity to an extreme Kevin, in Special Relativity, the addition law for velocities is different from the Galilean addition of velocities. IF the velocity of plane A is 2/3 of c relative to the earth, and the velocity of plane B is also 2/3 of c but relative to plane A, the velocity of plane B relative to the earth would be 12/13 of c. It will never reach the speed of light.The equation given by Einstein for this addition law of velocities is: v(B)= v(A) + v(b) / 1 + (v(A)/c)(v(b)/c) Take v(B) as the velocity of plane B relative to the earth, v(A) as the velocity of plane A also relative to the earth, and v(b) the velocity of plane B relative to plane A. You can add as many planes within planes as you want,they will never reach the speed of light. |