I am standing still and I turn on a flashlight parallel to the ground. My flashlight's beam has a speed which is equal to the speed of light (c).Now a space ship flies past me in the same direction that my light is shining. The ship is traveling at 1/2 the speed of light as measured by me, then the space ship then turns on a light that shines parallel to my flashlight beam. What is the speed of the space ship's light beam?
Light travels at a constant speed in a vacuum, not matter what circumstances. The ship traveling at half the speed of light does not add its speed to the light, rather its perception of space and the flow of time is changed from your perspective so that both you and the people on the ship conclude that the light still moves at 299792458 m/s.
If I go back to high school physics, no it can't.It looks like a paradox,but according to the theory of relativity,the speed of light is the same if you are standing still or from a space ship.Don't ask me why,I forgot the maths. The answer to your question can't be given in a few sentences.You need a powerful mathematical apparatus.
Light travels at the same speed no matter what. The ship is moving at a fast rate, but the light will still travel at same spped. The ship just closes the gap faster
Light is not like other particles its quite unique. Light has not net mass and travel at the speed of light. Special Relativity tell us if an object manage to travel at the speed of light time won't have any significant. An object usually accelerate or decelerate as time pass by. But light is not govern by time it start out the speed of light and it will continue to travel at that speed in a vacuum. The speed of light is independent of the motion of the observer, so the speed of light does not vary with time or place.
Many theories have been proven wrong with modern science. After all, they are just theories. Once the world was thought to be flat. Once the Sun was thought to rotate around the Earth. Once , if a person travelled at more than 30 miles per hour , they would die. Once , flight was science fiction Once, other planets were thought to be impossible. We should keep an open mind, and marvel at the next discovery. To the question, nobody would actually see the ball in the first place , as any ball even above a few hundred miles per hour , would be too fast for the naked eye. Can you see a bullet? Unless it is filmed by special cameras?
