If you were traveling in a spaceship that had a velocity JUST under light speed

In summary, if a person were in a spaceship traveling just under light speed and ran forward towards the front, the outside observer would see the person moving very slowly due to time dilation. From the runner's point of view, they would appear to be running normally unless they looked outside the ship.
  • #1
CombustionMan
5
0
If you were in a spaceship that was going JUST under light speed & you ran forward...

If you were in a spaceship that was traveling JUST under light speed & you ran forward towards the front of the
Spaceship, what would happen? I'm talking literally JUST under c, like 0.999999999999999999999..
...999c.
Since it's impossible for someone to be moving at light speed, and he would be to an outside observer, what would happen with time/length to prevent that from happening? There's already heavy time dilation on the occupants of the ship so I was wondering what would happen to the sprinter
 
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  • #2
Hi CombustionMan! :smile:
CombustionMan said:
Since it's impossible for someone to be moving at light speed, and he would be to an outside observer …

No, he wouldn't … see http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Addition_of_Velocities_Formula" :wink:
 
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  • #3


Because of the time-dilation that an outside observer sees, he would see the sprinter as running very very very very slowly...such that the sprinter's speed (relative to the rocket) plus the speed of the rocket (relative to the outside observer) in the outside frame is still less than c.
 
  • #4


Ok, makes sense. So from the runners point of view would he appear to be running normally or slowed
 
  • #5


He wouldn't be able to tell whether his ship was moving at all, without "looking outside" through the windows or whatever. Just like when you're flying in an airplane you don't notice that you're moving except when you look out the window or your plane hits an air pocket or something.
 

FAQ: If you were traveling in a spaceship that had a velocity JUST under light speed

What is the concept of time dilation?

Time dilation is a phenomenon that occurs when an object moves at high speeds close to the speed of light. As per Einstein's theory of relativity, time is not absolute and is relative to an observer's frame of reference. When an object moves at high speeds, time appears to slow down for the object in motion compared to a stationary observer. This means that time runs slower for the object traveling at high speeds, creating a difference in the passage of time between the two frames of reference.

How would time dilation affect a spaceship traveling close to light speed?

If a spaceship is traveling at a velocity just under light speed, time dilation would occur. This means that time would appear to slow down for the passengers on the spaceship compared to a stationary observer on Earth. This effect would become more significant as the spaceship gets closer to the speed of light, and time would appear to almost come to a standstill for the passengers on the spaceship.

What is the impact of time dilation on aging?

Time dilation has a significant impact on aging. As time appears to pass slower for the object in motion, the passengers on the spaceship would experience time passing slower compared to a stationary observer. This means that the passengers on the spaceship would age slower than the observer on Earth. This effect becomes more prominent the closer the spaceship gets to the speed of light, making the passengers on the spaceship experience time at a much slower pace.

How does the length of the spaceship change at high speeds?

According to the theory of relativity, as an object's speed approaches the speed of light, its length appears to shrink in the direction of its motion. This phenomenon is known as length contraction. As a spaceship travels at high speeds, it would appear shorter to a stationary observer compared to its actual length. This effect becomes more noticeable as the spaceship approaches the speed of light.

What would happen if the spaceship reaches the speed of light?

According to Einstein's theory of relativity, an object with mass cannot reach the speed of light. As the spaceship approaches the speed of light, its mass would increase significantly, requiring an infinite amount of energy to continue accelerating. This means that it would be impossible for the spaceship to reach the speed of light. Additionally, time dilation and length contraction would also become infinite at the speed of light, making it impossible for the spaceship to continue its journey.

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