This is a time question; I'll bet (Einstein) didn't know about laser pointers

If he did, he would have thought about a laser bullet which is turned
on, the moment it is shot out a gun. Would that laser pointer bullet
move faster then light speed? Try thinking about that! How fast does a
bullet move plus with the speed of light added to it?

esmartguy wrote:
If he did, he would have thought about a laser bullet which is turned
on, the moment it is shot out a gun. Would that laser pointer bullet
move faster then light speed? Try thinking about that! How fast does a
bullet move plus with the speed of light added to it?

In a vacuum, light always moves at c (about 300,000 km/s), no matter
what the light source is attached to, or who's doing the measuring. So
even if Einstein knew about laser pointers, it wouldn't have mattered.

In air, light moves slower than c. How much slower depends on the air
pressure, temperature, etc., as well as who's doing the measuring, but
the variations are tiny.

--
Brian Tung
The Astronomy Corner at http://astro.isi.edu/
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My Own Personal FAQ (SAA) at http://astro.isi.edu/reference/faq.html

Simple, the bullet would NOT go faster than light.


--
The Lone Sidewalk Astronomer of Rosamond

Telescope Buyers FAQ
http://home.inreach.com/starlord
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www.sidewalkastronomy.info
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http://home.inreach.com/starlord/church/Eternity.html


"Sam Wormley" wrote in message
news:BDl6h.1062471$084.1009825@attbi_s22...
esmartguy wrote:
If he did, he would have thought about a laser bullet which is turned
on, the moment it is shot out a gun. Would that laser pointer bullet
move faster then light speed? Try thinking about that! How fast does a
bullet move plus with the speed of light added to it?

On or about 14 Nov 2006 07:47:59 -0800 did "esmartguy"
dribble thusly:

If he did, he would have thought about a laser bullet which is turned
on, the moment it is shot out a gun. Would that laser pointer bullet
move faster then light speed? Try thinking about that! How fast does a
bullet move plus with the speed of light added to it?

You're thinking of it the wrong way.

The photons don't have the velocity of the bullet added.

Think of it as the bullet dropping the photons on a very sticky,
fixed-speed conveyor belt.

--
- Mike

Ignore the Python in me to send e-mail.