- #1
Jiketsu
- 2
- 0
Hello and thanks for reading! You'll have to excuse my general ignorance of physics and the jargon, and also if I am not posting in the correct spot (I looked up astrophysics and it seems to be closest to my inquiry)
Backstory:
This is not for school or anything like that. I have for awhile now been working on a game, where the player is given a planet, gains productions, and eventually builds fleets and colonizes other systems. I have come to the crossroad where I'm designing different classes of ships, their sizes, capacities, etc.. and its really becoming technical. I suddenly thought about SPEED. And I had to stop, and think really hard. And I admit it hurt my head. So I need more, qualified direction in this matter (did I just make a joke?) so that I can better wrap my head around this.
Actual Question(s):
There are two metal crafts deep in space. One is the size of an economy car, like a Honda Civic. The other is the size of a Cruise Ship. Mounted on the back of each of these crafts, is a single identical 'thruster' that both produce the same force of propulsion. Let us pretend there are no nearby planets or objects that apply any forces of gravity (or other, if others exist, and they probably do) ...
Will both of these crafts move at the same speed? Why or why not?
Will one begin movement sooner than the other or anything?
Would adding a second thruster to either change its speed potential?
Does volume, mass, or weight (but no weight in space right?) have any affect (ex if I have a cargo ship filled with cargo would it move slower than a cargo ship that's empty) or would the shape of the crafts make any impact? (I'm assuming there's not really any resistance in space right?)
Also I am curious.. about light speed haha.. is there anything faster?
Oh and a bonus question if anyone has heard of this... I remember seeing sometime on TV something about a car, traveling at light speed... but then it turns on its headlights or something, and it poses the question if the light of the headlights would double its speed. I can't quite remember. Something about time travel. Anyone know what this is about?
I really appreciate your help with this stuff. I don't know if I'll ever finish the game or anything, but this would really be insightful nonetheless. I'm always up for learning something!
-Ji
Backstory:
This is not for school or anything like that. I have for awhile now been working on a game, where the player is given a planet, gains productions, and eventually builds fleets and colonizes other systems. I have come to the crossroad where I'm designing different classes of ships, their sizes, capacities, etc.. and its really becoming technical. I suddenly thought about SPEED. And I had to stop, and think really hard. And I admit it hurt my head. So I need more, qualified direction in this matter (did I just make a joke?) so that I can better wrap my head around this.
Actual Question(s):
There are two metal crafts deep in space. One is the size of an economy car, like a Honda Civic. The other is the size of a Cruise Ship. Mounted on the back of each of these crafts, is a single identical 'thruster' that both produce the same force of propulsion. Let us pretend there are no nearby planets or objects that apply any forces of gravity (or other, if others exist, and they probably do) ...
Will both of these crafts move at the same speed? Why or why not?
Will one begin movement sooner than the other or anything?
Would adding a second thruster to either change its speed potential?
Does volume, mass, or weight (but no weight in space right?) have any affect (ex if I have a cargo ship filled with cargo would it move slower than a cargo ship that's empty) or would the shape of the crafts make any impact? (I'm assuming there's not really any resistance in space right?)
Also I am curious.. about light speed haha.. is there anything faster?
Oh and a bonus question if anyone has heard of this... I remember seeing sometime on TV something about a car, traveling at light speed... but then it turns on its headlights or something, and it poses the question if the light of the headlights would double its speed. I can't quite remember. Something about time travel. Anyone know what this is about?
I really appreciate your help with this stuff. I don't know if I'll ever finish the game or anything, but this would really be insightful nonetheless. I'm always up for learning something!
-Ji