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What's the speed of light when viewed from the side?
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Suppose a pulse of light is sent from $A$ to $B$ in an equilateral triangle $ABC$. While the pulse is moving from $A$ to $B$, what is it's speed relative to $C$?
I know this is a naive question, but I would be very pleased to see a non-naive answer.
visible-light speed-of-light velocity inertial-frames relative-motion
edited 14 mins ago
Mark Eichenlaub
40.3k11104200
asked 48 mins ago
Lehs
267114
add a comment |Â
up vote
3
down vote
favorite
Suppose a pulse of light is sent from $A$ to $B$ in an equilateral triangle $ABC$. While the pulse is moving from $A$ to $B$, what is it's speed relative to $C$?
I know this is a naive question, but I would be very pleased to see a non-naive answer.
visible-light speed-of-light velocity inertial-frames relative-motion
edited 14 mins ago
Mark Eichenlaub
40.3k11104200
asked 48 mins ago
Lehs
267114
Are you asking for the linear or the angular speed? (If you're thinking that the light appears to vary in speed as it travels, you're actually talking about the angular speed.)
– probably_someone
35 mins ago
@probably_someone: I didn't think of the angular speed.
– Lehs
33 mins ago
It's just $c$. Were you expecting a different answer?
– knzhou
25 mins ago
add a comment |Â
up vote
3
down vote
favorite
up vote
3
down vote
favorite
Suppose a pulse of light is sent from $A$ to $B$ in an equilateral triangle $ABC$. While the pulse is moving from $A$ to $B$, what is it's speed relative to $C$?
I know this is a naive question, but I would be very pleased to see a non-naive answer.
visible-light speed-of-light velocity inertial-frames relative-motion
edited 14 mins ago
Mark Eichenlaub
40.3k11104200
asked 48 mins ago
Lehs
267114
Suppose a pulse of light is sent from $A$ to $B$ in an equilateral triangle $ABC$. While the pulse is moving from $A$ to $B$, what is it's speed relative to $C$?
I know this is a naive question, but I would be very pleased to see a non-naive answer.
visible-light speed-of-light velocity inertial-frames relative-motion
visible-light speed-of-light velocity inertial-frames relative-motion
edited 14 mins ago
Mark Eichenlaub
40.3k11104200
asked 48 mins ago
Lehs
267114
edited 14 mins ago
Mark Eichenlaub
40.3k11104200
asked 48 mins ago
Lehs
267114
edited 14 mins ago
Mark Eichenlaub
40.3k11104200
edited 14 mins ago
Mark Eichenlaub
40.3k11104200
edited 14 mins ago
Mark Eichenlaub
40.3k11104200
40.3k11104200
asked 48 mins ago
Lehs
267114
asked 48 mins ago
Lehs
267114
asked 48 mins ago
Lehs
267114
267114
Are you asking for the linear or the angular speed? (If you're thinking that the light appears to vary in speed as it travels, you're actually talking about the angular speed.)
– probably_someone
35 mins ago
@probably_someone: I didn't think of the angular speed.
– Lehs
33 mins ago
It's just $c$. Were you expecting a different answer?
– knzhou
25 mins ago
add a comment |Â
Are you asking for the linear or the angular speed? (If you're thinking that the light appears to vary in speed as it travels, you're actually talking about the angular speed.)
– probably_someone
35 mins ago
@probably_someone: I didn't think of the angular speed.
– Lehs
33 mins ago
It's just $c$. Were you expecting a different answer?
– knzhou
25 mins ago
Are you asking for the linear or the angular speed? (If you're thinking that the light appears to vary in speed as it travels, you're actually talking about the angular speed.)
– probably_someone
35 mins ago
Are you asking for the linear or the angular speed? (If you're thinking that the light appears to vary in speed as it travels, you're actually talking about the angular speed.)
– probably_someone
35 mins ago
@probably_someone: I didn't think of the angular speed.
– Lehs
33 mins ago
@probably_someone: I didn't think of the angular speed.
– Lehs
33 mins ago
It's just $c$. Were you expecting a different answer?
– knzhou
25 mins ago
It's just $c$. Were you expecting a different answer?
– knzhou
25 mins ago
add a comment |Â
2 Answers
2
active
oldest
votes
up vote
3
down vote
The speed of light is the same in every direction; specifically, $c=299,792,458$ m/s. This fact was proven by Michelson and Morley in 1887, when they measured the speed of light very precisely using the Michelson-Morley interferometer. They proved more than that, though: the speed of light is not only independent of direction, it is also independent of the speed at which the observer is moving. This was one of the main discoveries that gave Special Relativity its credibility in the early 20th century.
answered 20 mins ago
probably_someone
14k12350
add a comment |Â
up vote
3
down vote
In this case the speed would be same for anything sent from A to B, as seen from C. Since there is no relative velocity between the points A, B and C, the magnitude of the speed of any object going from A to B, as seen from A, B or C, or any other stationary point with respect to the triangle, would be the same.
For light, the magnitude of its speed would be the same even if the points where moving with respect to each other, the speed of light is the same for all frames of reference, independent of their relative position or velocity.
answered 18 mins ago
Hugo V
3979
add a comment |Â
2 Answers
2
active
oldest
votes
2 Answers
2
active
oldest
votes
active
oldest
votes
active
oldest
votes
up vote
3
down vote
The speed of light is the same in every direction; specifically, $c=299,792,458$ m/s. This fact was proven by Michelson and Morley in 1887, when they measured the speed of light very precisely using the Michelson-Morley interferometer. They proved more than that, though: the speed of light is not only independent of direction, it is also independent of the speed at which the observer is moving. This was one of the main discoveries that gave Special Relativity its credibility in the early 20th century.
answered 20 mins ago
probably_someone
14k12350
add a comment |Â
up vote
3
down vote
The speed of light is the same in every direction; specifically, $c=299,792,458$ m/s. This fact was proven by Michelson and Morley in 1887, when they measured the speed of light very precisely using the Michelson-Morley interferometer. They proved more than that, though: the speed of light is not only independent of direction, it is also independent of the speed at which the observer is moving. This was one of the main discoveries that gave Special Relativity its credibility in the early 20th century.
answered 20 mins ago
probably_someone
14k12350
add a comment |Â
up vote
3
down vote
up vote
3
down vote
The speed of light is the same in every direction; specifically, $c=299,792,458$ m/s. This fact was proven by Michelson and Morley in 1887, when they measured the speed of light very precisely using the Michelson-Morley interferometer. They proved more than that, though: the speed of light is not only independent of direction, it is also independent of the speed at which the observer is moving. This was one of the main discoveries that gave Special Relativity its credibility in the early 20th century.
answered 20 mins ago
probably_someone
14k12350
The speed of light is the same in every direction; specifically, $c=299,792,458$ m/s. This fact was proven by Michelson and Morley in 1887, when they measured the speed of light very precisely using the Michelson-Morley interferometer. They proved more than that, though: the speed of light is not only independent of direction, it is also independent of the speed at which the observer is moving. This was one of the main discoveries that gave Special Relativity its credibility in the early 20th century.
answered 20 mins ago
probably_someone
14k12350
answered 20 mins ago
probably_someone
14k12350
answered 20 mins ago
probably_someone
14k12350
answered 20 mins ago
probably_someone
14k12350
14k12350
add a comment |Â
add a comment |Â
up vote
3
down vote
In this case the speed would be same for anything sent from A to B, as seen from C. Since there is no relative velocity between the points A, B and C, the magnitude of the speed of any object going from A to B, as seen from A, B or C, or any other stationary point with respect to the triangle, would be the same.
For light, the magnitude of its speed would be the same even if the points where moving with respect to each other, the speed of light is the same for all frames of reference, independent of their relative position or velocity.
answered 18 mins ago
Hugo V
3979
add a comment |Â
up vote
3
down vote
In this case the speed would be same for anything sent from A to B, as seen from C. Since there is no relative velocity between the points A, B and C, the magnitude of the speed of any object going from A to B, as seen from A, B or C, or any other stationary point with respect to the triangle, would be the same.
For light, the magnitude of its speed would be the same even if the points where moving with respect to each other, the speed of light is the same for all frames of reference, independent of their relative position or velocity.
answered 18 mins ago
Hugo V
3979
add a comment |Â
up vote
3
down vote
up vote
3
down vote
In this case the speed would be same for anything sent from A to B, as seen from C. Since there is no relative velocity between the points A, B and C, the magnitude of the speed of any object going from A to B, as seen from A, B or C, or any other stationary point with respect to the triangle, would be the same.
For light, the magnitude of its speed would be the same even if the points where moving with respect to each other, the speed of light is the same for all frames of reference, independent of their relative position or velocity.
answered 18 mins ago
Hugo V
3979
In this case the speed would be same for anything sent from A to B, as seen from C. Since there is no relative velocity between the points A, B and C, the magnitude of the speed of any object going from A to B, as seen from A, B or C, or any other stationary point with respect to the triangle, would be the same.
For light, the magnitude of its speed would be the same even if the points where moving with respect to each other, the speed of light is the same for all frames of reference, independent of their relative position or velocity.
answered 18 mins ago
Hugo V
3979
answered 18 mins ago
Hugo V
3979
answered 18 mins ago
Hugo V
3979
answered 18 mins ago
Hugo V
3979
3979
add a comment |Â
add a comment |Â
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Are you asking for the linear or the angular speed? (If you're thinking that the light appears to vary in speed as it travels, you're actually talking about the angular speed.)
– probably_someone
35 mins ago
@probably_someone: I didn't think of the angular speed.
– Lehs
33 mins ago
It's just $c$. Were you expecting a different answer?
– knzhou
25 mins ago