By definition the particle's speed in the particle' frame of reference is 0. And yes, it is 0 in one frame and 0.5 c in another and 0.999 c in yet another. There is even a frame where it's speed is 0.43 c, but that is not the particle's frame.kaleidoscope said:A particle traveling at 0.5c for 1 second at its frame of reference covers 1.3E8m (speed=.5*3E8 and gamma=.866). The average speed was then 1.3E8 m/s = .43c and not .5c. What is going on here? Was it travelilng at 0.5c or at .43c? (Notice that all the calcualtions are done at the particles frame of reference).
Suppose you are observing the particles motion over a road And you are stationary above the road. For you the particle covers 1.5E8m on the road in one second. But in the particles perspective, the road moves past a distance of 1.5E8 * 0.866 = 1.3E8m in a time of 1 * 0.866 = 0.866 seconds. So, the particle concludes, the road is moving at 0.5c.kaleidoscope said:A particle traveling at 0.5c for 1 second covers 1.3E8m (speed=.5*3E8 and gamma=.866) and not 1.5E8. The average speed was then 1.3E8 m/s = .43c and not .5c. What is going on here? Was it travelilng at 0.5c or at .43c?
"0.5c" and ".43c" are both measurements of speed, specifically the speed of an object in relation to the speed of light. "c" represents the speed of light, which is approximately 299,792,458 meters per second. So, "0.5c" means the object is traveling at half the speed of light, and ".43c" means the object is traveling at 43% of the speed of light.
According to the laws of physics, it is theoretically possible for objects to travel at these speeds. However, it would require an incredible amount of energy and advanced technology that we do not currently possess.
One potential effect is time dilation, where time slows down for the moving object compared to a stationary observer. This means that for someone traveling at 0.5c, time would pass at half the rate it does for someone standing still. Another effect is length contraction, where the length of the moving object appears shorter to a stationary observer. Additionally, there would be a significant increase in mass for the object as it approaches the speed of light.
The fastest man-made object to date is the Parker Solar Probe, which reached a speed of approximately 0.0001c in 2018. However, scientists are constantly working on new technology and propulsion systems that could potentially allow us to travel at higher speeds in the future.
If we were able to achieve these speeds, it would greatly reduce travel time for long-distance trips within our solar system. It could also potentially open up the possibility of interstellar travel, allowing us to explore and study other planets and galaxies in a much shorter time frame. However, there are also many ethical and safety considerations that would need to be addressed before such high-speed travel is possible.