What Would Sound Like at the Speed of Light?

In summary, at near light speed, a man traveling in space would not experience any sound unless he looked out the window, where he would see gamma rays and super low frequency rays. This is because velocity is a relative quantity and the concept of movement depends on the frame of reference. Additionally, the speed of light would not sound like anything to the man unless he was traveling with respect to matter in the universe.
  • #1
NiceJerkGuy
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0
If man were able to travel the speed of light - what would it sound like to this man? Would it be a mad deafening roar? Or would it be complete silence? What does the speed of light sound like?
 
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  • #2
If he was traveling in a craft, sound for him would not change from the way it is in our everyday world. If we were watching him pass by, he would burn up from the friction in the sound medium (air). Then you would hear the sound from the blast about 1 second later for every mile distance from the explosion.
 
  • #3
NiceJerkGuy said:
If man were able to travel the speed of light - what would it sound like to this man? Would it be a mad deafening roar? Or would it be complete silence? What does the speed of light sound like?

It he were traveling in space in the absense of matter then at speeds near light speed (you can't go at light speed) he wouldn't notice anything unless he was looking out the window. This is because its impossible to even speak of moving unless you've stated what your moving with respect to. Right now you are moving at near the speed of light with respect to some frames of reference.

If he were moving near c with respect to the average rest frame of matter in the universe (locally) then he'd notice nothing as welll unless he looked out the window. Then, because he's traveling at near the speed of light with respect to the cosmic background radiation (locaal zero momentum frame) then he'd see gamma rays in the direction of motion and super lw frequency rays when he looked out his rear window.

Pete
 
  • #4
I'm traveling at almost the speed of light right now (as I imagine everyone on this forum likewise is doing). Note that such a statement in no way contradicts the perspective that I am also at rest.
 
  • #5
exackly. all of us are traveling at imencelly high speeds right now (space expansion), but because we are in an internal frame, this has no effect on us and we cannot notice it.
 
  • #6
It has nothing to do with space expansion. It is the issue that velocity is a relative quantity.

What's an "internal frame?"
 

FAQ: What Would Sound Like at the Speed of Light?

What is the speed of sound at the speed of light?

The speed of sound at the speed of light is not a well-defined concept. The speed of sound refers to the rate at which sound waves travel through a medium, while the speed of light refers to the speed of electromagnetic radiation in a vacuum. As such, the two speeds are not directly comparable and cannot be combined to form a valid measurement.

Can sound travel at the speed of light?

No, sound cannot travel at the speed of light. The speed of sound is limited by the properties of the medium it travels through, while the speed of light is a fundamental constant in the universe. In order for sound to travel at the speed of light, it would have to be able to travel through a vacuum, which is not possible.

How does sound travel compared to light?

Sound and light are both forms of energy that travel in waves, but they behave very differently. Sound waves require a medium, such as air or water, to travel through, while light waves can travel through a vacuum. Additionally, sound waves travel much slower than light waves - the speed of sound is about 343 meters per second, while the speed of light is about 299,792,458 meters per second.

What is the relationship between sound and light?

Sound and light are both forms of energy that can interact with and affect each other. For example, sound waves can cause objects to vibrate, which can in turn produce light waves. Additionally, some materials, such as certain crystals, can convert sound waves into light waves. However, sound and light are fundamentally different phenomena and do not directly affect each other in the same way.

Can sound travel faster than the speed of light?

No, sound cannot travel faster than the speed of light. As mentioned earlier, the speed of sound is limited by the properties of the medium it travels through, while the speed of light is a fundamental constant in the universe. It is not possible for sound to exceed the speed of light, as it would require breaking the laws of physics.

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