The other day my husband was trying to remember the formula for working out something like velocity or acceleration over a certain distance at so many miles per hour (or something like that) re a particular motor-bike.
Anyhow, it made me wonder about the speed of light. My question is, is the speed of light constant, or does it accelerate.
For example when light comes from the sun, as it is 'ejected' so to speak, does it gather speed until it reaches a constant?
Also when light hits something and maybe is absorbed or rebounds somewhat, does that slow it down?
Sorry, I'm sure this is a very simplistic question and absolutely shows my lack of knowledge of these things...I'm not even posing the question in the right terms, probably, but I hope you understand what I'm querying.
The speed of light is totally misunderstood. It is solely determined by the energy content of each frame and your measuring devices.
Look at the speedometer on your car. Imagine that 100 mph is the speed of light. As you accelerate your division marks (clocks and rulers) change proportionally to the energy added at the quantum level from your change in velocity. Now comes the important part. You must also rotate the dial so that the zero point follows the needle.
Notice the consequences. 100 mph is still 100 mph and can not be reached. Also your velocity through space reads as zero, just as it does right now despite our moving through space at an unknown velocity.
Understand the speed of light can never be reached as long as one uses his own measuring devices. They will continue to change as energy is added and our zero points will continue to reset proportionally to that energy added so that light will calculate to c regardless of ones actual velocity.
This is why E told us that only in frames moving in relative motion with one another (the same approximate velocity) were the laws of physics the same. And that in frames not moving at the same relative velocity were the laws of physics different. They are different because they do not share the same measurements nor the same zero points.
As our zero points shift proportionally to the energy added from our change in velocity, the velocity component is exactly compensated for and light calculates to c regardless of our velocity. This is because different times and distances are measured in those frames, not the same time and distance.
Look at the second hand of a clock. A point near the hub (slower frame) does not measure the same time and distance as does a point near the tip (faster frame) does. Instead they measure proportional arcs of time and distance based upon energy content, not the same distance and time.
We simply call them the same thing, even if they are not because we have no way to tell when they have changed from within the frame itself as our zero points reset.
. But of course, this was a perfect example of the anomalies and vicissitudes of Time...sometimes there's too much of it and sometimes, not enough! LOL
