Question:

[SPORT SCIENTIST]

If you were on a plane going the speed of sound and walked from the back of the plane to the front would you be walking faster than the speed of sound?

 

[H_T_]

can i buy some pot from you?

 

[@dam]

i'd like in on that purchase

 

[BrothaBill]

If you were on a plane going the speed of sound and walked from the back of the plane to the front would you be walking faster than the speed of sound?

Simply yes, youd have to add the two velocities, no matter how slow you were walking it is still increasing the total speed of your body in relation to the plane. If you were moving at 10mph on a slow train and walked 1mph forward on the train your speed would be 11mph. Same principle if the base speed is the speed of sound you still would add your forward velocity. So if you were walking forward at 1 mph youd be traveling at the speed of sound plus 1mph.

 

[Big Rick Rock]

If you were on a plane going the speed of sound and walked from the back of the plane to the front would you be walking faster than the speed of sound?

Speed of sound YES... If the hypothetical plane was traveling at the speed of light NO... You can't travel faster than the speed of light. Sound is a different story.



-BRR

 

[Ulcasterdropout]

Cerenkov radiation

 

[juiceddreadlocks]

Simply yes, youd have to add the two velocities, no matter how slow you were walking it is still increasing the total speed of your body in relation to the plane. If you were moving at 10mph on a slow train and walked 1mph forward on the train your speed would be 11mph. Same principle if the base speed is the speed of sound you still would add your forward velocity. So if you were walking forward at 1 mph youd be traveling at the speed of sound plus 1mph.

Now answer this theoretical question, if you were on a train travelling at the speed of light (the absolute speed) and you threw a baseball forward how fast would it be going and what would happen?

dude we already talked about that last part. we dont have that kind of energy

 

[BrothaBill]

dude we already talked about that last part. we dont have that kind of energy

I know, I know just thought I throw it out there for someone else, its a lame question anyhow.

This is more interesting, theres an interesting twist to his question though about the plane at the speed of sound. What if it was going just slightly slower than the speed of sound and the speed by which he walked was enough to put him just over the the threshold of the sound barrier. Would he be physically be strong enough to be able to break the sound barrier and would he make a sonic boom??
Where the hell is Samoth when we need him?

 

[Debaser]

Didn't they teach physics at your high schools?

Simple relativity. If he were walking 5 mph to the front of the plane, his speed would be only 5 mph relative to the plane. He would be moving faster than the speed of sound relative to the GROUND, however.

 

[BrothaBill]

Didn't they teach physics at your high schools?

Simple relativity. If he were walking 5 mph to the back of the plane, his speed would be only 5 mph relative to the plane. He would be moving faster than the speed of sound relative to the GROUND, however.

 

[Debaser]

If he was walking 5 mph to the back of the plane as you state, he would actually be going 5mph SLOWER than the speed of sound b/c walking backwards would make him go slower relative to the ground. Thats what my High school physics class taught me. Unless of course the plane you are talking about flys backwards.

Er, I meant to the front of the plane. I was trying to paraphrase 2 different posters.

 

[BrothaBill]

Okay, Ill edit.

 

[juiceddreadlocks]

I know, I know just thought I throw it out there for someone else, its a lame question anyhow.

This is more interesting, theres an interesting twist to his question though about the plane at the speed of sound. What if it was going just slightly slower than the speed of sound and the speed by which he walked was enough to put him just over the the threshold of the sound barrier. Would he be physically be strong enough to be able to break the sound barrier and would he make a sonic boom?? Im pretty sure I know the answer.
Where the hell is Samoth when we need him?

lol i just caught that in that post you said the ''absolute'' speed. someone should have taken that bait hook line and sinker to come up with some profound answer

 

[samoth]

Where the hell is Samoth when we need him?

Studying.

What the hell are you guys still doing up?
I'm going to bed now, I gotta get up in a couple of hours.

 

[H_T_]

so all these cartoons are full of shit.................

 

[BrothaBill]

lol i just caught that in that post you said the ''absolute'' speed. someone should have taken that bait hook line and sinker to come up with some profound answer

Yup, I was wondering what speculation I could get out what would happen part. Woulda been interesting but I dont think I wouldve gotten many bites on it on this board.

Im still waiting for someone to attempt to answer the sound barrier question that I came up with, thats a trick question as well.

 

[BrothaBill]

Just want to clarify my answer, as I stated that you would just add the speed of the individual walking(X) to the speed of the airplane(Y) and you would have an additive velocity of X+Y which would be faster simply than the speed of sound (X).

This however assumes the observer is on the ground in a stationary position as is the most functional way to calculate it and would be correct answer to assume. However if the observation site was a passenger in the plane, if he used a radar gun on the person walking, his speed would only be the speed at which he walked say 2mph. So the answer lies with the observer and if its fixed as in how we normally accept as a given to such a question the first answer of X+Y would be true.
All of this is observer dependent, the earth is hurdling through space and we dont take into account that vector. When they say all stop on the Star Trek enterprise, that is an impossibility, you cant be stopped in space.
The answer is thus yes and no. But in practical terms its yes.

 

[mountain muscle]

Speed of sound YES... If the hypothetical plane was traveling at the speed of light NO... You can't travel faster than the speed of light. Sound is a different story.
-BRR

Only theoretically you cannot.

 

[samoth]

All of this is observer dependent, the earth is hurdling through space and we dont take into account that vector. When they say all stop on the Star Trek enterprise, that is an impossibility, you cant be stopped in space.
The answer is thus yes and no. But in practical terms its yes.

LOL @ earth vector

The equations are invariant to changes in the coordinate systems. The answer is yes. Relativistic effects from the sun are small and can be ignored.