OK, since this forum is being used do discuss a variety of sometimes interesting and sometimes worrying (see �My bowels hate me� thread). I thought I�d try you guys with something that has been puzzling me for some time.
Might be a little Serious for this place, but I thought I'd try it on you anyway. If this is a major breakthrough, I claim all credit. 😃
According to my A level physics teacher (from many years ago) and just about everyone else I have talked to since, it is not possible to exceed the speed of light (Einstein, Relativity and all that).
Well, I am happy to accept the idea that time and space distort, mass becomes infinate etc. as you approach the speed of light, but I still don�t get the bit about not being able to exceed it.
Before I explain, I just want to say, that you can get formulas to add up to anything you want in my book. You could give me to totally opposing solutions based on some formulas and convince me they are both correct. So ideally, I would like analogies.
Anyway, my problem goes something like this.
I appreciate that movement, speed etc. is a relative thing, but for the sake of this discussion let us assume that the Earth is stationary (not flat, just stationary).
Now, while I am happily sitting on Earth, 2 rockets head off in opposite directions. Both leave Earth at 0.6 X speed of light. So I see Rocket A leaving me at 0.6 X lightspeed in 1 direction & Rocket B at 0.6 X lightspeed in the other direction.
Nobody has a problem so far I hope.
Now according to this relativity thing, had I been sitting on Rocket A and looked at Rocket B I�d have been squashed, vaporised etc.
But in addition to that, I would not have seen Rocket B moving away from me at 1.2 X lightspeed.
Why, because of distortions in time, space etc. the Speed of Rocket A relative to Rocket B cannot exceed the speed of light.
I�m OK with all of this (hope I�ve got it right).
The bit I don�t get is this.
As I�m actually sitting on Earth, as far as I�m concerned,
Rocket A is leaving me at 0.6 X lightspeed.
Rocket B is leaving me at 0.6 X lightspeed.
So as far as I�m concerned, (i.e. ignoring the distortion in time/space between Rockets A and B) Rocket A is moving away from Rocket B at 1.2(ish) X speed of light.
Now according to my physics teacher I�m wrong. Further inquiry results in being presented with a textbook and some formulas to try and understand.
Can anyone give a clear explanation ?
Zuber