Speed Definition and 1000 Threads

  1. R

    Relativistic speed accelerator for physics experiments in a capsule

    Is it technologically feasible today or in the near future, to accelerate in outer space a ~0.1 gram physics experiment lab, inside a cyclic accelerator and shoot it in a straight line at a constant speed of 5%-80% of the speed of light? That miniature capsule, must include all that is needed...
  2. R

    B Meaning of "Speed of Light is Constant": Explained

    Isn't the meaning of speed, a variable of distance divided by a variable of time? Therefor isn't the meaning of a constant speed of light, a constant distance divided by a constant time? If there is any truth in this saying and there probably isn't, then what is the meaning of light constant...
  3. R

    B Constant speed between 2 objects close to the speed of light

    If i am moving away from an object at a certain constant speed close to the speed of light, is that object also moving away from me at the same constant speed?
  4. R

    B Moving Faster Than Light: Are There Symmetrical Rules?

    Would it be correct to say, that we are moving away from stars at the edge of the universe, at the same rate that these stars are moving away from us? I am relating to stars that are moving in relation to us, at a speed that is faster than the speed of light. Is the symmetry that maintains that...
  5. A

    I Why is the speed of light absolute?

    To describe the movement of the planets, Newton assumed that there was such a thing as gravity. But he didn't know what gravity was. To derive the Lorentz transformation, Einstein assumed that the speed of light was absolute (not relative), but is it also known why the speed of light is absolute?
  6. N

    Does speed affect energy consumption over a certain distance?

    Hi! I just watched a video about cardio training, where it is claimed that the only thing that matters is the distance covered, and not the speed. "Four miles burns more calories than three miles." So, walking four miles burns more calories than sprinting three miles. (Click the link and watch...
  7. B

    I Everyone Measures Light in a Vacuum at the Same Speed

    I ran into something on a non-technical message board that is familiar to me - a poster, clearly without any scientific knowledge, saying that Relativity is wrong. Unfortunately, the point he used as a battering ram is one to which I don't know the answer. He suggested that the light...
  8. H

    I Measuring the Speed of Light: How Did We Do It?

    I understand that the meter is defined from the speed of light (distance light travels in 1/299792458 of a second). But how did man measure this exact distance to this level of precision? With any apparatus, isn't there an unknown amount of bottleneck somewhere?
  9. Curious_Student

    Silly question -- Perpendicular forces have no effect on speed?

    If route perpendicullar forces supose to have no affect, why isn't this the case when somebody tries to cross a river? the motion is perpendicullar when water speeds aprox. at the same direction.. what am i missing?
  10. BiggestAfrica

    Determining speed at an angle using an energy balance

    I first found the height of the ball after it's passed the 45 degree angle by doing 4.12*sin(45) = 2.9133, and plugged in the rest of the variables (masses cancel) .5(m)(vo^2) = (.5)(m)(vf^2) + mgh (17.5^2)(.5) = (.5)(vf^2)(9.8*2.9133) vf = 15.7845, however this is incorrect I don't understand...
  11. Fra Ser Mur Chie

    What is the relationship between wave speed and frequency?

    Frequency nU = W/2pi = 287.6/6.28 = 45.796 = 45.80 Speed C = nU * I = 45.80 * 186.9 = 8560 m/s
  12. V

    Modeling a wingsuit base jumper's speed

    Fgravity = m*g Ffriction = k*A*v^2 Ftotal = Fgravity - Ffriction a = Ftotal/m v = v+a*dt if t<7 then Fgravity>Ffriction if 7<t<67 then v =55,88 (meters per second) if t>67 then A = 45 (square meter) if t>67 then Fgravity<Ffriction the t defines the seconds the first 7 seconds are the free fall...
  13. shadedvertex

    Flaw in alternative approach to determine ideal gas speed distribution

    If we assume the energy of particles in an ideal gas follows a Boltzmann distribution, then the energy distribution function can be defined as below: , where k_B is the Boltzmann constant Since the energy of particles in an ideal gas are assumed to only consist of translational kinetic energy...
  14. C

    I One Way Speed of Light: Is it Constant?

    Is there any reason to believe that the one way speed of light is constant? Not isotropic, but constant in the sense of being independent of position.
  15. greg_rack

    How to link frequency and speed? Doppler effect

    I had many attempts on trying to solve this one, but I got always stuck in the problem-solving part: how do I manage to find the source-speed from the Doppler formula, in an analytical way, and then reach to the result-formula? Anyway, I'm pretty sure the only formula needed to solve this...
  16. Merlin3189

    Is Double Dime Really Code for a 55mph Speed Limit?

    Someone asked me what a dime was (this is UK.) I, not knowing, nevertheless promptly replied, it must be 5 cents, because they called their 55mph speed limit the double dime. Then of course went to Google to check and found that it is 10 cents. How does double 10 become 55? So back to Google...
  17. M

    Propagation speed of Coulomb fields

    Moderator's note: This thread is a spin-off of https://www.physicsforums.com/threads/what-are-the-most-important-open-questions-in-classical-physics.983671/ R. de Sangro, G. Finocchiaro, P. Patteri, M. Piccolo, G. Pizzella, "Measuring propagation speed of Coulomb fields", Eur. Phys. J. C 75...
  18. greg_rack

    Speed of sound in an ideal gas

    First of all I thought it was necessary to calculate the temperature(the only data missing for the formula) using the ideal gas equation(since I've already been given 'p' and 'V'), and plug it in the 'v' formula, but the problem immediately occurred when i tried to find out the number of...
  19. TammyTsang

    Engineering Scaling of units for equations of motions

    In the picture, there is a problem where the t is in units of square root(l/g), and V in square root(gl) I am wondering 1. What it means when time is in units other than time? Does it mean that when solving I have to take time/squareroot(l/g) 2. How did they get square root(l/g). Thank you...
  20. Harini Krishna

    Calculating the speed of sound in water

    Hi,i want to calculate the speed of sound in water Containing Chlorine : 4mg/L in 1L distill Water Chloroamine : 4mg/L in 1L distill Water Florides : 0.5mg/L + in 1L distill Water Copper : 0.005mg/L + in 1L distill Water Lead : 1.3 mg/L in 1L distill Water Can you please help in...
  21. R

    Elliptical motion: An object is moving at a constant speed?

    I am confused why the acceleration doesn't point to the center of the ellipse or one of the focus, since it moves in circular motion. Shouldn't the acceleration be just in the radial direction
  22. omega_minus

    Surface speed of a strip over a deflection roll

    Hello, I am trying to solve a problem at work that at first I thought was easy but has proven trickier than I originally thought: If I have a strip of material traveling in a straight line and it is tangent to a roll turning below it, the roll would need to turn at the surface speed of the...
  23. NTL2009

    Electrical A speed limiter for a Universal Motor in an old Lionel Train

    I have a "262 Lionel Line" O gauge train, from the early 1930's. It has sentimental value, my Father-In-Law (RIP) got it as a gift when he was about age 10. I've set it up each Christmas, a short track around the tree. But it is difficult to control, the gearing is high (it goes fast), so...
  24. SlurryPumpPro

    Vertical Cantilever Slurry Pump Critical Speed

    Hello all, I am an engineer with a manufacturing company and I am working for calculating the critical speed for a vertical cantilever slurry pump. This pump design includes one ball bearing and one taper roller bearing within the bearing housing. Then the shaft extends vertically downward...
  25. J

    I What Happens When a Planet Nears the Speed of Light Near a Black Hole?

    I take the following example to explain my question : when a « black-hole » is attracting a planet there is a Force which is proportional to the 2 masses and inversely proportional to the distance between the 2 masses. When the planet moves towards the « black-hole » this attraction force...
  26. wicker558

    Object thrown at an angle: Initial velocity has to equal speed at t

    My solution is very sketchy, but we want the math right. However, I've came to 2 thoughts that helped me get to the solution, and those are: The only way that you can launch a ball at a velocity and have it be the same velocity two seconds later, is if it's already reached its maximum height...
  27. S

    I Speed Difference of Time on Poles vs Equator of Earth and Other Planets

    I had the wonder of whether, due to the speed difference, clocks ran at a different speed on the equator than on the poles. I then researched this, and found that, due to being closer to the centre of the Earth at the poles due to the bulging of the Earth due to spinning, the two essentially...
  28. anonymous99

    Does the speed of sound depend on the speed of the medium?

    This means the sound wave reaches the outlet faster as it travels in the same direction as the medium. But I was reading online that speed of sound is independent of the medium so I don't know why my professor used this approach. If speed of sound was dependent on the medium, then wouldn't shock...
  29. Saptarshi Sarkar

    I Speed of Light in Inertial Ref Frames: Photon Perspective

    According to the 2nd postulate of Special Relativity, speed of light in vacuum is the same in all inertial reference frames. If I take a beam of photons and see the other photons in the beam from a frame of reference of a single photon, do they look stationary or moving at the speed of light...
  30. cyclemark

    Transition time from one steady-state Speed to another for a cyclist

    I have a speed estimator that calculates a cyclist's Steady State Velocity v given the rider's power output p (watts), rider mass m (kg) and hill gradient g. For this particular model, headwind and tailwind beyond the drag force conditions are not relevant. In the model I use, there are three...
  31. G

    I Speed of Light: Measuring Meters and Seconds

    When we say speed of light = c m/s. Who is measuring meters and second. From SR perspective, that photon is moving towards you at speed of light so there should be time dilation, correct?
  32. C

    Average speed needed to flip a vehicle

    Car A hits Car B's passenger side at intersection (T Bone). Car B flips over sideways in the direction of the driver's side. The intersection is basically level. Car A is an Audi 5, roughly 3,900 lbs. Car B is a Lexus NX, roughly 4,000 lbs. Car B had recently stopped and was traveling...
  33. T

    Adiabatic approximation in the derivation of the speed of sound

    The speed of sound in a gas at temperature T is given to be ## v=\sqrt{\frac{\gamma RT}{M}}##, where ##\gamma## is the adiabatic exponent, R is the gas constant and M is the molar mass of the gas. In deriving this expression, we assumed that the compression and expansion processes were so fast...
  34. J

    B Can Info Travel FTL? Understanding Speed of Information

    Summary: Can the speed of information be faster than light? Say you had two people in space and they were 10 light years apart. Each person has a light bulb and battery connected to an electrical switch. Pressing the switch turns the light on, once it is released it springs back to the off...
  35. Athenian

    I Lorentz Boosts: Finding Speed, Coordinates & Rotation w/ Matrix Multiply

    Recently, I've been studying about Lorentz boosts and found out that two perpendicular Lorentz boosts equal to a rotation after a boost. Below is an example matrix multiplication of this happening: $$ \left( \begin{array}{cccc} \frac{2}{\sqrt{3}} & 0 & -\frac{1}{\sqrt{3}} & 0 \\ 0 & 1 & 0 & 0...
  36. sigr

    B What Would Light Look Like If Train Moved at > Speed of Light?

    I am reading up on the special theory of relativity, and watched a video. In the video we have a train moving at ½ c towards a station, where an observer is waiting. The train's headlamp is on. How would the lamp's light appear to the observer? I was thinking that it¨'d appear to the observer...
  37. S

    Average speed of a probability density wave and wave packets

    Show that ##v_{av}=\frac{\hbar k_2 + \hbar k_1}{2m}## is equal to ##v_{av}=\frac{\omega_2 - \omega_1}{k_2-k_1}##. Which of the identities listed above (if any) would make the sign change between ##k_2## and ##k_1##? One can attain a "wave packet" by superposing two or more sinusoidal waves...
  38. A

    Why Can a Sound Wave Not Travel Faster than the Average Molecule Speed?

    I am having trouble understanding the following passage in my physics textbook, particularly the bolded sentence: "The speed of sound in a gas is closely related to the rms speed of the molecules of that gas. In a sound wave, the disturbance is passed from one molecule to another by...
  39. V

    Does Fan Speed Remain Constant Under Varying Loads?

    I have a question concerning the electric motor that drives a fan. A fan can experience different loads depending on the pressure build-up in the ducting behind the fan and depending on the air density. Do fans keep their revolutions per minute constant if the pressure build-up or air density is...
  40. jisbon

    Solving for Maximum Speed of Cube: Kinematics & Upthrust

    So, I recognise that: $$ma=pg\left( L^{2}\right) \left( L-y\right) -\dfrac {1}{2}pgL^{3} $$ whereby $$pg\left( L^{2}\right) \left( L-y\right)$$ is the upthrust while the other is mg. So, to find the largest speed of cube, I will assume that acceleration is zero since the acceleration slowly...
  41. A

    Kinematics and angular speed of a collision between a rod and puck

    initial total KE= (1/2)(0.6kg)(8m/s)^2 = 19.2J (0.6kg)(8m/s) = (0.6kg+1.8kg)(vf) vf= 2m/s final KE= (1/2)(0.6kg+1.8kg)(2m/s)^2 = 4.8J I tried to use linear speed=angular speed * radius : thus 2m/s= angular speed * (3.3m/2) angular speed= 1.2 rad/s Apparently that is wrong.
  42. Benjamin_harsh

    Calculating Relative Speed & Time to Meet: I Can't Find the Distance

    I able to calculate this 2 things: relative speed of A and B = 3 + 1; 4m/sec Time for meeting for first time in opposite direction = 100/(3+1); 25 sec I can't able to find distance in Meeting for first time for opposite direction.
  43. zizzle

    Minimum initial speed to spin a particle around a disk (with gravity)

    For this problem, since the weight force on the "particle" (child) is not always aligned with the tangential circular path of the disks, I couldn't think of a way to use rotational kinematics equations. As such, I tried to solve the problem using work principles (namely, that the change in...
  44. F

    Opposites of Speed, Mass, Pressure & Momentum - Things I Wonder Of

    Also what do you think the opposite of mass is? What about pressure? Would you say the opposite of that is resistance? How about space? Is that opposition occupancy, or may be volume? What about momentum? Wtfluff is the opposite of that? If even. May be odd These are certainly not physics...
  45. D

    Calculating the average linear speed of all points in a rotating sphere

    Is there a way to calculate the average linear speed of all points in the volume of a sphere rotating on a single axis? Since points closer to the axis of rotation and the poles move slower than points further out, would the average speed be a simple function of r/2 and pi? It would seem that...
  46. Z

    Switching speed of ICs vs gate length

    Why is it that the smaller the gate length, the higher the max operating frequency becomes? In particular, I think I saw somewhere that a 6 um gate length, seems to limit ICs to 100kHz, where as 1 um is around 1MHz (all rough ball bark numbers, and can be persuaded otherwise). Was wondering if...
  47. S

    Engineering Calculate consumption, displacement and speed using given standards

    I calculated the value of kgf/cm^2 from given values. In the second table (Force exerted by the pneumatic cylinders) I see my value 5.6 exactly but how do I then read the table to get the diameter of the cylinder and then the rod? I then am stuck on how to calculate the total consumption...
  48. A

    The Nuclear Rocket that Could Reach 20% of the Speed of Light

    In 2009, the same society together with the Tau Zero Foundation announced Project Icarus, a similar spacecraft that could achieve 15% the speed of light. That year, a physicist called Friedwardt Winterberg announced a fusion spacecraft that could be used as a capacitor to produce proton...
  49. A

    Angular speed, acceleration, and angle of a Ferris wheel

    ω(10)=(1.3)∗(1.0−e^(−10/22) )= 0.475 rad/s 0.475 rad/s=0 +α(10second) α=0.0475 rad/s^2 ∫ω(t)=Θ =1.3t + 28.6e^(-t/22) | (t=10s, t=0) total angle by which the wheel rotates over this period of t=10 seconds = 2.55 rad Θ= 2(pi)(8m)= 1.3t + 28.6e^(-t/22) 0=1.3t + 28.6e^(-t/22) - 2(pi)(8m) t=34...
  50. posto002

    With what speed does the cart recoil?

    I started off with vf^2=vi^2+2ad and plugged in the final velocity, acceleration (9.8) and distance which is 2.1 to get: 0=vi^2+2(9.8)(2.1) I solved this to get: vi=6.42 I then plugged this into find the x-component of vi (I labeled this as simply x)...
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