Re: Reaching Light Speed,

From: Androcles (androc1es_at_nospamblueyonder.co.uk)
Date: 09/14/04 

Date: Tue, 14 Sep 2004 18:48:21 GMT

"Bjoern Feuerbacher" <feuerbac@thphys.uni-heidelberg.de> wrote in message
news:ci6s0m$ifq$2@news.urz.uni-heidelberg.de...
| Androcles wrote:
| > "Bjoern Feuerbacher" <feuerbac@thphys.uni-heidelberg.de> wrote in
message
| > news:ci6imf$fh2$1@news.urz.uni-heidelberg.de...
| > | George Kinley wrote:
| > | > Hi,
| > | > If we push slightly any mass-less object would it reach speed of
light,
| > |
| > | I don't see how a mass-less object could travel *ever* at any other
| > | velocity than c.
| > |
| > |
| > | > if not then why does photons reaches C
| > |
| > | They don't "reach" c - they always *have* c. They do not start at a
| > | lower velocity and are accelerated to c.
| > |
| > |
| > | > definelty they are not
| > | > triggered at this speed initially
| > |
| > | Why not?
| > |
| > |
| > | > and light speed slows down in denser
| > | > medium but regains the original speed?
| > |
| > | The photons don't slow down in the medium.
| >
| > You've never heard of refraction, huh?
|
| I did. Read on.
|
|
|
| > | That light speed is lower
| > | in media is essentially based on the fact that the photons can't
travel
| > | in a straight line there.
| >
| > LOL! You do like to make it up as you go along...
|
| Do you say that photons *can* travel at straight lines in a medium?

Yes, I do. From observation. Water is a medium. Air is a medium.
When light curves in air, we use the term "mirage". Most of the time we
don't see mirages, but if the conditions are right, such as heated air
rising from the surface of a road, there are observable. The subjective
impression is on of a pool of water lying in the road ahead. It appears that
way because like a pool of water the sky is observed, In the case of water
it is reflected. In the case of a mirage it is refracted.
 You've probably never heard of it, since you see the world through
relativity tinted glasses.

| Do you say they are *not* absorbed and re-emitted in a medium?

Yes. From observation, again.
When light strikes matte paint, a small range of the spectrum is re-emitted
giving the characteristic colour of the paint. This is called absorption and
re-emission. We call such a medium "opaque". Other words in common usage
are "translucent" and "transparent". Look them up.
Androcles.

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