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Does Time Stop at the Speed of Light?
I asked a question about Light traveling at the speed of light several years ago, but it cannot be correct.
"Now, we all know that Einstein said that Time slows down progressively for a traveler who is accelerating towards the speed of light. He also says that--theoretically-- time stops for a traveler who is traveling AT the speed of light, and--also theoretically--time travels in reverse for a traveler who is traveling faster than the speed of light. Unfortunately for Sci-Fi fans, he also said that no traveler can ever "cross the lightspeed barrier." Now, get this!
I always knew that Light travels at the speed of Light, and that time does not move for an object that is moving at the speed of light, but I also knew that it was impossible for any object to travel at exactly the speed of light (unless it was a photon, of course). But the light that we see--the REAL light that exists around us everywhere--actually does travel at the speed of light and therefore is always everywhere all at once because it does not take time to get there! If you have ever watched a Marching Band from Upper mezzanine across a stadium, you have seen the "time" it takes for sound to travel at the speed of sound. But how can one imagine that Light itself does not travel in that same sense--it essentially is already there, shining on whatever is in its path for infinity!
But it would hinge on the notion that time stops for objects (or light) traveling AT the speed of light. Does it? If not, why not?
3 Answers
- 9 years agoFavorite Answer
I understand the question to be "light does not pass through the time dimension, so it moves through space instantaniously." in short, no. An explanation would be that time warps are confined to molecules traveling at that speed, from another point of view it still appears to take time to move, thus having finite velocity. HOWEVER, an important point in special relativity is that every point of view is equal, and from the photon's point of view, it is moving instantaniously. But, for everyday, human purpose, the answer is no.
- 9 years ago
this question cannot be answered, as the speed of light can never be achieved. It would require infinite amounts of energy to reach the speed, besides the fact that if the object you are propelling to the speed of light (yourself im assuming) would have to be massless.
Source(s): E=mc^2 - 9 years ago
Time doesn't move forward or backwards, that is just our preception. Time is a dot on a moveable scale.
