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/sci/ - Science & Math

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1544726 No.1544726 [Reply] [Original]

Explain how the speed of light is constant.

>> No.1544730

how? like, what is the mechanism behind it that makes c = 1? or how do we know that it is constant?

Some people say its constant and just takes time to be absorbed,emitted by material, and so it looks like its slowing down, other people say the light slows down in different material. I don't know which I believe.

>> No.1544734

>>1544726
constant in a vaccum

>> No.1544736

speed of light in VACUUM is constant.

>> No.1544740
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1544740

>> No.1544752

If you're traveling in a spaceship at 90% of the speed of light, and someone fires a beam of light past you, you will see it pass you at the speed of light relative to you.

>> No.1544819

It's constant because you touch yourself at night and ask stupid questions on /sci/.

>> No.1544827

>>1544819
>Implying a non-theism question which is completely relevant for the board is stupid.

>> No.1544872
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1544872

>>1544752

>> No.1545109
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1545109

>>1544752

wtf.
I unserstand what you`re saying.
But i`m amazed by how smart and dedicated einstein must have been to be to come up with such an idea.

>> No.1545123

>>1545109
It actually follows easily from the Lorentz transformation, which in turn follows relatively easily (albeit less so) from Maxwell's equations.

>> No.1545126

Light has no mass, therefore the speed of it should be infinite.

>> No.1545139

>>1545126
Photons have mass, they don't have REST mass.

>> No.1545144

You cant explain why it is. It just is, what you can explain is what effects that has on our perception of space and time.

But it simply just IS constant

>> No.1545168

>>1545139
a HURR DURRR DERP

>> No.1545177

>>1545139
>I didn't know they were Catholic!
BAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHA!!!!!11!
>captcha: that Moffett
>dat mosfet

>> No.1545178

The speed of light is a constant because the photon has no rest mass, so it has to travel at the MAXIMUM speed, because of it having no mass.

>> No.1545183

>>1545177
>>1545177

My iq is too low to understand your humor.

>> No.1545186

>>1545183
>implying IQ is needed to know about mosfet

>> No.1545187
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1545187

>>1545144
ofcourse you can. if you couldn't, you'd have to imply that there's a god. go back to /b/.

>> No.1545190

>>1545183
Catholics have mass (where they eat the blood and body of christ i think)
You said photons have mass, i made a joke.

>> No.1545197

>>1545144
There just simply IS a God.

>> No.1545206

>>1545197
>>1545187

What the hell did my post have to do with god. Im just saying, weve done experiments and shit, and have determined light is always constant. Its just an observation, a very mind blowing observation, but still just an observation.

>> No.1545257

>>1545206
the real question is, what is our absolute speed (not directional) relative to some arbitrary intergalactic point?
And what effect would that speed have on time dilations and such, perhaps time as we percieve it on earth is actually much slower than the rest of the universe percieves time?
Something that has bothered me is that when scientists talk about inertial reference frames and the laws of physics being the same in all of them, surely the earth is not inertial because of its circular orbit and thus central accelaration?