Subject	Totally NZR, but I know there are some brilliant people here
Posted by	AshsZ (Fab Whore, Ph.D) on August 21, 2002 at 11:25 AM
	This message has been viewed 399 times.
Message	While digging for some information on laser technologies, something occured to me which begged the question.. Hopefully someone here will know the definite answer because logic doesn't seem to help much. Only true empirical data would answer it... It is well known that the speed of light is 299,792,458 meters per second in a vacuum, that is, in the void of all states of matter. When light passes through matter, depending on its density, it will travel slower. The question is, does the light resume its 299,792,458m/s if it again passes into a vacuum? Example. You are a astronaut taking a simple spacewalk with your handy dandy laser in one hand and a piece of glass in the other. You point the laser at the glass and press the button. The light leaves the laser at 299,792,458m/s, but when it enters the glass, it slows down. Logic (and newtons first law of motion) would say that when it leaves the glass, that it will travel only the speed that it slowed to when it entered the glass. Now this poses an interesting dilemma.. Is the light now traveling in a vacuum at less than the speed of light after having been passed through matter? The statement that the speed of light is 299,792,458m/s in a vacuum is taken (by me) to say that it travels at this speed ANYTIME it is in a vacuum, regardless of have been passed through some other medium. So which is right? There is also another thing that comes to mind along these lines too.. Since the universe is expanding (at an accellerated rate as well - which boggles the mind; another discussion) this means that bodies of matter are moving and not standing still. Well, lets just say that star 'x' is moving away from us at the rate of 100,000 m/s and that the light it emits is making its way to earth. Is the light really traveling at 299,792,458m/s, or is it only traveling at 199,792,458m/s? I never took higher order physics as it was not my major, but things like this bug my mind from time to time.. Sorry this is so NZR.... Hopefully it wont get canned.. :-/ [ ashleypowers.com ] [ agpowers@bellsouth.net ] When pigs dance, you better get it on video...
Follow Ups	Totally NZR, but I know there are some brilliant people here - AshsZ (Fab Whore, Ph.D) 11:25:03 08/21/02 I'll bow out of this one respectfully Ash :) (n/m) - BlueZ 11:29:47 08/21/02 no it doesn't speed up again,it can not add energy to itself (n/m) - damaged(pittsburgh) 11:33:57 08/21/02 Well, that's interesting. That would mean that not all - AshsZ (Fab Whore, Ph.D) 11:38:25 08/21/02 I'm getting dizzy. (n/m) - BlueZ 11:41:18 08/21/02 well - damaged(pittsburgh) 11:56:32 08/21/02 i think again - damaged(pittsburgh) 11:59:01 08/21/02 it's called "red shift" - more - jedi Z 12:40:08 08/21/02 using that logic... - aliaZ 13:35:00 08/21/02 Re: it's called "red shift" - more - tweek59 16:24:36 08/21/02 It's a constant under specific circumstances... - RezidentEvil 12:42:37 08/21/02 is light a wave or particles? -LOL (n/m) - jedi Z 14:13:23 08/21/02 wave (n/m) - RuthlessZ 15:34:33 08/21/02 Snell's Law. Nuff said (n/m) - U ZCREAM (Jax,FL) 11:39:41 08/21/02 Head travels slower when wearing a helmet? (n/m) - Alan G (San Diego) 13:49:29 08/21/02 lol (n/m) - U ZCREAM (Jax,FL) 14:10:54 08/21/02 Half these guy's mothers..... - Miles (San Antonio, TX) 11:34:13 08/21/02 ya mean yer mom don't write your name in your britches!???? (n/m) - BlueZ 11:36:09 08/21/02 haha, britches (n/m) - Zcrup92 22:19:28 08/21/02 LOL, you DO have a good point there! ROFLMFAO! - AshsZ (Fab Whore, Ph.D) 11:36:53 08/21/02 My mom still does that, is this not acceptable for>> - RT 12:17:39 08/21/02 would you like a tissue to wipe that stuff off your nose? (n/m) - 96-2+2TT(Power Supply Racing) 12:41:06 08/21/02 Actually, I think it's a napkin for his lip :) (n/m) - BigTDogg 14:12:39 08/21/02 Come on Ash, this is on a trig-based calculus level - U ZCREAM (Jax,FL) 11:37:22 08/21/02 ooops, i meant trig-based physics (n/m) - U ZCREAM (Jax,FL) 11:42:24 08/21/02 I read the same thing. Speed of light is slowing down >> - AshsZ (Fab Whore, Ph.D) 11:43:09 08/21/02 Have you tried - NATAZ 11:37:30 08/21/02 Here ya go - U ZCREAM (Jax,FL) 11:51:04 08/21/02 take it from a physicist - Technomancer 18:23:33 08/21/02 dammit! - Technomancer 18:31:10 08/21/02 it will not speed up again... - RaBBiZ 11:53:13 08/21/02 phsyics was many years ago... - SactoTodd 11:53:22 08/21/02 c=constant. logical answers inside - RROBE99999 12:08:06 08/21/02 unless... - Furious(Houston) 12:17:11 08/21/02 Think about this Ash, simple logic... too simple?>>> - Perffect 12:11:26 08/21/02 Hey thats why the UD pulley adds HP. This IS Z related ;) (n/m) - RROBE99999 12:15:03 08/21/02 uhm i dont think that works, (n/m) - down5hift 12:15:52 08/21/02 Well you are wrong ;). Work on your coordination. (n/m) - Perffect 14:32:30 08/21/02 conservation of angular momentum (n/m) - aliaZ 13:38:01 08/21/02 are you even sure light will slow down when it goes through - down5hift 12:16:51 08/21/02 No it does slow down through a medium that's how a lot - musashisword 16:50:25 08/21/02 Pi is exactly 3! Flavin. (n/m) - Adam A. 12:19:59 08/21/02 3.14 (n/m) - 300Zment (ATL) 12:55:03 08/21/02 3.14............ (n/m) - 300Zment (ATL) 12:55:12 08/21/02 Watch the Simpsons. You'll be better for it. ;) (n/m) - Adam A. 13:04:39 08/21/02 agreed (n/m) - FtMufnMan1 15:32:38 08/21/02 about 3.141592654 and I used to date a girl that was - Aseem 19:23:13 08/21/02 It speeds back up. Same thing with sounds. (n/m) - TTony 12:25:09 08/21/02 It will resume initial v after leaving the matter into the> - Zster (QuickZilver) 12:26:40 08/21/02 If memory serves me right, here is a possible answer... - cmb6s 12:26:51 08/21/02 See what you started Ash! You asked... - Miles (San Antonio, TX) 12:29:47 08/21/02 Receding source of light changes wavelength, not speed - Janders7(KilleenTX) 12:34:01 08/21/02 True, that's the Doppler effect. (n/m) - RezidentEvil 12:46:11 08/21/02 ...and radar guns from doppler shifting uwaves. (n/m) - Aseem 19:25:59 08/21/02 interesting thought...I thought of that back in 5th or 6th>> - z rider 12:55:11 08/21/02 Pretty nice sig. (n/m) - 300Zment (ATL) 12:57:33 08/21/02 Speed of light is always constant.... - Dreggy 13:14:07 08/21/02 Speed of light is not constant. Time is. - Perffect 14:38:29 08/21/02 This is sarcastic, right? Funny if it is, sad if it isn't. (n/m) - Riceburner 14:43:30 08/21/02 Q1 answer = yes, Q2 answer = still travels 299Mms... - presto 13:22:15 08/21/02 To fix your sig, reload the pic up to Street Challenge or - Atti2de 13:26:21 08/21/02 Thanks for the heads-up... - presto 15:10:23 08/21/02 if you want to really think, so some research on antimatter - dragonballz 13:31:36 08/21/02 Theory of relativity....Einstein said... - RSR 14:31:29 08/21/02 Wow... this is some amazing stuff... - Perffect 14:40:09 08/21/02 That's what I was thinking..... Light's speed doesn't change - Riceburner 14:40:35 08/21/02 Correct. With explanations... - Eggman 15:40:59 08/21/02 yes, light picks up speed again>>> - Altersys 14:44:40 08/21/02 heres what i think>> - RuthlessZ 15:29:45 08/21/02 Re: heres what i think>> - tweek59 16:27:41 08/21/02 Answer to both is yes or 299,792,458m/s - Arturo C. 16:23:10 08/21/02 In order for an object to slow down or speed up, there - dilo 17:54:57 08/21/02 Take it from a physicist - Technomancer 18:26:41 08/21/02 Yes, because there is no mass. (n/m) - MugenRacer 23:00:59 08/21/02 Those are some very interesting questions.... - Aseem 19:52:56 08/21/02
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