Why does light have a FIXED speed????

[why06]

In fact i think the speed of light could be different as soon as it gets far enough away from a gravitational pull that space time has enough resistance as to be unaffected by the gravitational pull of an object far away.<br /><br /><font color="yellow">(is it effected or affected - I'm not sure which?)</font> <div class="Discussion_UserSignature"> <div>________________________________________ <br /></div><div><ul><li><font color="#008000"><em>your move...</em></font></li></ul></div> </div>

 

[nova_explored]

the wave function of electromagnetic fields such as a photon are totally unaffected by gravitational fields though. They simply bend the light beam, nothing more. the properties of space-time and QED is a coordinate system that measures the entropy of the system- it allows us to make predictions on path and/or velocity. Except that in the case of all electromagnetic phenomena, the wave function follows 'schroedinger's law' whereby we cannot know both velocity and direction at the same time. in the case of the photon, since we know it to be a constant, and we know it's information does not ever change, we are not given to know its path. and this is what we observe when we conduct the famous slit experiment. Light will propagate at its wave form and appear everywhere all at once, regardless of the number of photons we send through the slit.<br /><br /> <div class="Discussion_UserSignature"> </div>

 

[enigma10]

There was a special on this on the discovery show just recently. It talked specifically about what is being discussed here. <div class="Discussion_UserSignature"> <em>"<font color="#333399">An organism at war with itself is a doomed organism." - Carl Sagan</font></em> </div>

 

[search]

Here is a very interesting article to answer the question and which touches many of the good points brought up by everyone. It is clear and concise and you can look further in its many links.<br /><br />http://math.ucr.edu/home/baez/physics/Relativity/SpeedOfLight/speed_of_light.html

 

[vandivx]

here's an article about the 'constancy of the constants'<br /><br />http://www.space.com/scienceastronomy/060711_science_tuesday.html<br /><br />the bottom line is that those findings are on the borderline of experimental errors, nobody is going to remake physics just yet<br /><br />vanDivX <div class="Discussion_UserSignature"> </div>

 

[why06]

In order to answer this question:<br /><font color="yellow">Why does light have a FIXED speed????<font color="white"><br /><br />we must first ask two fundamental questions....Does anybody have an answer to ....<br /><br />.... 1. Why does light have to be constant?<br /><br />....and...2.what controls the speed these electric and magnetic fields interact?<br /><br />....oooh....one more......<br />.....3. is there possibly other fields or unknown forces interacting?<br /><br /><br /><br /><font color="yellow"><br />.....After all something has to control the speed of light directly or indirectly.</font></font></font> <div class="Discussion_UserSignature"> <div>________________________________________ <br /></div><div><ul><li><font color="#008000"><em>your move...</em></font></li></ul></div> </div>

 

[why06]

I'll try to ressearch a while to find those answers, but in the mean time if anyone has any ideas.....<font color="yellow">Post Them</font> <div class="Discussion_UserSignature"> <div>________________________________________ <br /></div><div><ul><li><font color="#008000"><em>your move...</em></font></li></ul></div> </div>

 

[vandivx]

it is useless to attack this querry directly I tell you, you got to inquire into other things, like what makes gravitation tick, where inertia of mass comes from... and you got to come up with down to earth physical theories, not with abstract mathematical solutions or some hypothetical particles<br /><br />in short, you have to re-evaluate some parts of physics back at least hundred years and in due course you will find out answers to what you are asking<br /><br />like in X-Files - 'the truth is out there'<br /><br />vanDivX <div class="Discussion_UserSignature"> </div>

 

[why06]

Well<font color="yellow">....Dang?!<br /><br /><br /><br /><font color="white">Okay... See you in a hundred years......<img src="/images/icons/laugh.gif" /></font></font> <div class="Discussion_UserSignature"> <div>________________________________________ <br /></div><div><ul><li><font color="#008000"><em>your move...</em></font></li></ul></div> </div>

 

[paintwoik]

<blockquote><font class="small">In reply to:</font><hr /><p>If light speed is the fastest anything can ever go than why does it have a fixed speed <p><hr /></p></p></blockquote><br />Perhaps it is because light is not a physical entity. It's speed is set in stone from it's inception, and it's interactions are conceptual in nature. The medium on which it interacts never changes, as it is all conceptual, and has been since the beginning.

 

[robnissen]

"Why does light have a FIXED speed????"<br /><br />Because its not broken..... Sowwy

 

[olivebird111]

woot! homer said that and its famous?<br /><br />oh seriously thats how a light forms a milriage, i dont know how to spell that. And i think light travels through the universe at a fixed speed, or it do changes like on earth, but that is how we measure the distance of galactical patterns and stars

 

[nova_explored]

what vandivx said.<br /><br />electric and magnetic fields are controlled by the interaction of the electron and proton, more so, charge and spin (integer) ratio. All particles have a fixed spin integer. Particles are classified and grouped according to this integer (fermions and bosons). They are fixed because if we change (or if the universe attempts to change the spin in any way) the particle degrades. In some theories the interactive force is responsible for the fields, in others it is the particles themselves (maxwell's theories which lead to QED theory attributes the fields to the interaction of the particles themselves.) The force can change in strength with different particles, but the electromagnetic force always remains a constant. So maxwell, and later Einstein, theorized that the spin of a proton and an electron manifest the field. Since electrons are the universal constant of QED, and since they are inherently the same regardless of conditions or interaction, (no field theory can exist without the interaction of the electron) the field theory predicts that constant for the strength of the field. the mu and epsilon are the wave function of this field i believe. not sure though. this is a really dumbed down version of QED. but look to the wikipedia excerpt for a more concrete definition and some beginning in your searches. it should prove beneficial at the very least.<br /><br />and there could be other fields at work, this is nothing new, however they seem to be governed by the four major forces at the physical level of the universe. <div class="Discussion_UserSignature"> </div>

 

[toothferry]

Why does light have a fixed speed? Well, due to the effects of time dilation the faster an object goes the slower time moves, and once <i>infinite</i> speed is reached the observer will view that object as going at the "fixed Constant speed" of C. <br /><br />Now, if you were a little photon light going "instantly fast" then for yourself you could go from one edge of the universe to the other "instantly".. but then when someone on the ground clocks your speed they would say... "ahhhhh, he's traveling at 186,000 miles per second, pretty darn fast, but I wonder why he can't go any faster than that?" ...and the reason.<br /><br /><big>TIME DIALATION" (he's already going infinitely fast)</big>

 

[Saiph]

really, time dilation is a consequence of the speed of light being absolute, i.e. not a relative speed like all other cases. <br /><br />Time dilation does not inheritly fix the speed of light at 3x10^8 m/s. <div class="Discussion_UserSignature"> <p align="center"><font color="#c0c0c0"><br /></font></p><p align="center"><font color="#999999"><em><font size="1">--------</font></em></font><font color="#999999"><em><font size="1">--------</font></em></font><font color="#999999"><em><font size="1">----</font></em></font><font color="#666699">SaiphMOD@gmail.com </font><font color="#999999"><em><font size="1">-------------------</font></em></font></p><p><font color="#999999"><em><font size="1">"This is my Timey Wimey Detector.  Goes "bing" when there's stuff.  It also fries eggs at 30 paces, wether you want it to or not actually.  I've learned to stay away from hens: It's not pretty when they blow" -- </font></em></font><font size="1" color="#999999">The Tenth Doctor, "Blink"</font></p> </div>

 

[vandivx]

edited: n/t <div class="Discussion_UserSignature"> </div>

 

[nova_explored]

ur a funny man van. and...huh? regarding your conspiratorial theory as to why nobody wants to pay the money...<br /><br />do tell, plz, i'm so curious as to that complete non-sequitor.<br /><br />and as for my post, i'm sure your status is in check and no one really gives two bits...as not one person has remarked in any sorts to it.<br /><br />if it embarrasses, then why you needed to rehash as much in your post and simply spin some ridiculous condescension my way. good luck man.<br /><br />but plz enlighten us all, as to the reasons why the theories are not appropirately understood. <br /><br />p.s. photons are unlike any other particle in their spin ratio because they are truly neutral to everything, mass or massless in the universe. probably want to start there for a theory of a constant attributed to a particle. <div class="Discussion_UserSignature"> </div>

 

[peterantonrev]

"Why?" is an interesting question. It assumes two or more preexisting facts that are combined by mental association into a result. As we delve ever deeper into the mysteries of life, the universe and everything, it makes sense that we will also come up against ever more subtle principles. At some point, it just might be practical to stop asking Why? and simply assume that there is another realm of awareness or reality at work. Science seems bent on understanding reality. I submit that more acceptance of mysteries being the way the Primal Cause made it might lead us to quantum breakthroughs in our thinking. Openmindedness could be a powerful tool for making use of the forces of the universe(s) available for practical use without necessarily understanding how they work. Besides, I don't think science will ever answer the biggest question, Why do we exist? That could be the Why? without any supporting knowns.

 

[why06]

<font color="yellow">You know might help a lot... if I found out what a photon is....?<font color="white"><br /><br />I used to think that it was just a particle of light- A particle that could acts like a wave...., but now I'm getting confused....<br /><br />What exactly is a photon....?<br /><br />1. A particle......<br /><br />2. Interchanging electro-magnetic fields <br />-What causes these fields to inter change?<br />-What causes other particle to also function like a wave<br />-what causes these fields<br />-If the Electron is causing the electric field what is causing the magnetic<br /><br />3. What is the connection between electromagnetic fields and light<br />-Are radio waves light?- there in the electromagnetic spectrum?<br />-Gamma waves?<br />-Infared?<br />-X-rays?<br /><br /><br /><font color="yellow"> I NEED AN ANSWER !!! <img src="/images/icons/crazy.gif" /><br /><br />----------------------------------------------------------------------!How Does This All Connect!--------------------------------------------</font></font></font> <div class="Discussion_UserSignature"> <div>________________________________________ <br /></div><div><ul><li><font color="#008000"><em>your move...</em></font></li></ul></div> </div>

 

[vandivx]

<blockquote><font class="small">In reply to:</font><hr /><p>nova_explored: and as for my post, i'm sure your status is in check and no one really gives two bits...as not one person has remarked in any sorts to it.<br /><br />if it embarrasses, then why you needed to rehash as much in your post and simply spin some ridiculous condescension my way. good luck man. <p><hr /></p></p></blockquote><br />I don't see where I am condescending towards you, the post wasn't answer or follow up to your post anyway, in any case that has got nothing to do with improper attributing of post to somebody else (to me in this case)<br />maybe its the same to you and to many others but I still don't like that at all, it is not simply being done, not if these forums are not just a joke, moderator should edit your post then if you refuse to do that yourself out of spite<br />sorry but I had nothing against you and don't have now, not yet, I take it you got offended some way by my post (that I may have 'rehashed' something you said before, if so it was not intentional, its just a habit I have to restate things regardless if they've been said)<br /><br />as if I care about upsetting you or anybody for that matter, I hardly know you on these forums as yet since I am around just short time so far and still in getting to know people here<br /><br />I can assure you it wasn't intentional on my part if that was the actual case that I wrote something to make you upset<br /><br />-----<br />what non-sequitur, you pay me something so that I could take year or couple years off my job and I'll write my ideas for publication, I was hinting at B Gates and W Buffett who recently decided to spend their fortunes on helping third world instead of spending some bits of it on me and others like me and whatever other more worthwhile causes than the hole that the third world is in through their own doing<br /><br />all I said there I know more but won't write more, at least not yet and not on thread like this one since this issue is not <div class="Discussion_UserSignature"> </div>

 

[nova_explored]

my apologies then Van. I just found it odd that my post, in anyones words, is an embarassment of sorts, being totally off base. that confused me because, from what i wrote, i thought i was just giving a very general summation of the work done in the field on wave/particle duality and finding its attributes through Einstein, Maxwell, Fermi, etc..<br /><br />If I am off base on that generalization, then again, my apologies. But having seen your post afteward showed a more involved recitation of my own, so i'm not sure what was going on with it and just let it alone.<br /><br /> <div class="Discussion_UserSignature"> </div>

 

[siarad]

Do we <b>know</b> the speed of light is fixed.<br />It's measurement is always constant, not the same thing surely.<br />The problem is the constant has dimensions.<br />Do we know dimensions are fixed.<br />Haven't I seen somewhere that time & distance vary.<br />We now base our measurements on C being fixed.<br />Seems to me we need a dimensionless constant for that, hoping a ratio will be constant irrespective of changing dimensions.<br />However C kinda behaves like a ratio always being constant, when all around is changing.<br />Perhaps we need to discover what it is a ratio of & rethink our math allowing its dimensionless state.<br />

 

[nova_explored]

the speed of light varies according to the medium, but yes, according to special relativity, it was the dimensions of a vacuum state that became the premise for the constant and its subsequent attributes were defined, both for the constant and the relation of space-time as a dimension. <br /> <div class="Discussion_UserSignature"> </div>

 

[why06]

Okay so these fields cause waves -specifically electromagnetic waves on the electro-magnetic spectrum<br /><br /><font color="yellow">Questions:<font color="white"><br /><br />1. are there any other kinds of wave spectrums<br /><br />2. Whats the differrence between a field and a wave<br /><br />3.Are there any other kind of fields besides electric and magnetic- If so do they create there own spectrum<br /><br />4.If fields cause waves what causes fields-and what speed do these fields interact- Or do fields even have speeds</font></font> <div class="Discussion_UserSignature"> <div>________________________________________ <br /></div><div><ul><li><font color="#008000"><em>your move...</em></font></li></ul></div> </div>

 

[why06]

Could somebody PLEEEEEASE!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! answer my question?????<br /><br />please <div class="Discussion_UserSignature"> <div>________________________________________ <br /></div><div><ul><li><font color="#008000"><em>your move...</em></font></li></ul></div> </div>