Speed of light is not constant.

Forums: Relativity
Email this Topic • Print this Page

Imagine that you are standing still next to a railroad track and a train is passing you at 60 mph. The boxcars are 1 mile long so that there is 1 minute between the arrival of each boxcar. You now start moving in the same direction that the train is traveling at 30 mph. You will notice 2 things:
1. The train is passing you more slowly.
2. The time between boxcars has increased to 2 minutes.

http://calgary.rasc.ca/algol_minima.htm

Quote:

In May and November, the Earth is moving at "right angles" to the line to Algol. During this time we see minima happening regularly at their 2.867321 day intervals. However, during August, the Earth is rapidly moving towards Algol at about 107,229 km/hr as explained on my How Fast Are We Moving? page. (The Earth moves approximately 202 times its own size in one day.) So in 2.867321 days the Earth moves about 7,379,039 km closer to Algol. But the varying light from Algol doesn't know this - its light waves left Algol 93 years ago and are travelling at a constant speed. The result - we "catch a bunch of minima early" during August as shown on Chart 2. Exactly the opposite happens during February - the Earth is moving away from Algol that fast and it takes longer for the group of minima to reach us so we see them taking longer between events. How long? 7,379,039 km divided by the speed of light 299,792.458 km/sec is 24.61382 seconds - this rough calculation explains the deviations we see in Graph 2. So in May and November when we are not moving towards or away from Algol - the period seems constant. It is our rapid movement towards or away from the events in August and February that causes the timing differences.

In February, when the earth is moving away from Algol there is an increase in time between eclipses and the light is passing the earth more slowly just like when you increase your speed in the same direction that the train is traveling there is an increase in time between boxcars and the train is passing you more slowly.

Topic Stats
Top Replies
Link to this Topic

Type: Discussion • Score: 1 • Views: 1,182 • Replies: 25

No top replies

@Fruityloop,

c is constant for a vacuum. c varies for the medium through which it passes. Space is NOT a perfect vacuum it is loaded with particles, the geometry of which we use to map it. What do you know about how the adsorption and e-emission of photons from a source affects apparent (c)

1 Reply

@farmerman,

that should be RE-emission.

0 Replies

This is incorrect. All observers will measure light as traveling in a vacuum at the very same speed, c, regardless of their motion relative to each other or the light source.

1 Reply

@Brandon9000,

youre totlly missing any point.C is only a constant in a vacuum (not in water or glass ). THE "SPEED OF LIGHT THROUGH SPACE" was the topic.
Whether you know it or not, we have several tools based on adsorption and re-emission of light in various QUADRANTS of space.

1 Reply

@farmerman,

I was replying to the OP, not to you.

1 Reply

@Brandon9000,

sorry. I get all po'd at folks who argue aspects c and dont consider the bulk media

0 Replies

@Fruityloop,

Quote:

So in May and November when we are not moving towards or away from Algol - the period seems constant. It is our rapid movement towards or away from the events in August and February that causes the timing differences.

The article explains that the difference is due to changes in distance not speed, Fruitloop.

1 Reply

@knaivete,

So does the distance changing between the earth and Algol preclude the speed of light coming from Algol changing relative to the earth?

2 Replies

@Fruityloop,

So what is causing the eclipses to come further apart in time and closer together in time?

1. The speed of light is constant and the eclipses are sometimes spaced farther apart or closer together.

2. The eclipses are spaced an equal distance from each other and the light is slowing down and speeding up as it moves past the earth.

0 Replies

@Fruityloop,

You don't seem to listen much. Every observer will measure light as propagating with the same speed, c, in a vacuum. Your state of motion is irrelevant.

1 Reply

@Brandon9000,

So you are going with option 1.
Why would the eclipses be farther apart or closer together in space if the eclipses are occurring at periodic intervals?

0 Replies

@Fruityloop,

This is another thread where you are confusing reference frames.

When you use the term "standing still" you set the frame of reference as the earth frame (you are assuming the earth is fixed).

You then magically switch reference frames. In you astronomical example, are we "standing still"?

1 Reply

@maxdancona,

The earth is not standing still. It is continually orbiting the sun and moving around the center of the galaxy and the galaxy is moving through space.

Please continue.

1 Reply

@Fruityloop,

You use the phase "standing still" in your OP.

So why don't you tell us what it means?

1 Reply

@maxdancona,

I was giving an analogy in order to make it more clear and to better illustrate what is happening with the speed of light as the earth is moving towards and away from Algol. If you can't understand what I wrote then I suggest you take some remedial English classes. I think it is pretty clear what I meant. So does the fact that someone can stand still relative to train tracks but not stand still relative to everything else in the universe mean that the light from Algol is always passing the earth at c? If it does then maybe you can elaborate on this point.

1 Reply

@Fruityloop,

I don't understand what you are saying because what you are saying makes no sense. You seem to be claiming that the speed of light emitted by algol changes based on what the earth is doing...

I understand perfectly well what the article is saying...

0 Replies

What these scientists are doing is showing through observation that reality matches closely with their theory. It isnt just that the period measured decreases or increases. They are able to measure exactly and show that the precise values match with the values predicted by the theory.

With all of the work you are doing to disprove science, you could be actually learning science. I would suggest you take actual physics courses

1 Reply

@maxdancona,

So you are mentally incapable of picturing the light moving more quickly or slowly past the earth as the earth is moving towards or away from Algol. Obviously if the light is always moving past the earth at c there would be no change in time between eclipses.

1 Reply

@Fruityloop,

I can imagine lots of things. Science is about theories that have been tested by experiment and observation. What you can imagine is irrelevant

The reality is

1. The speed at which light travels in a vacuum is a constant.

2. The article does a pretty good job of explaining how the experimental bresults match the theory.

3. You imagination can't explain what the speed of light is relative ton(since your imagination doesnt accept it constant.)

1 Reply

Speed of light is not constant.

Related Topics

Quick Links

My Account

able2know