speed light

[dosset]

a car is travelling at the speed of light when the driver turns on the headlights what is the likely outcome to be?

[brian j john]

the lights will come on

[landie]

Where can I get one?

[xx marti xx]

It will crash coz at that speed u need to look where your going

[fo3nix]

The question is impossible to answer.

The car cannot travel at the speed of light.

Anyone's guess is as good as anyone else's, as it's not possible.

[brian j john]

f03nix
the "car" is just a name for the vehicle
what i think dosset is asking if it was already travelling at the speed of light and the headlights were turned on would the beam of the headlights go ahead of the car . as apposed to if the headlights were already on and are ahead of the "car" when "car" accelarates from a stop to the speed of light .
am i right dosset?

[behappy87]

Obviously it can't happen, but if the car were going at the speed of light and turned on the headlights, he wouldn't be able to see the light...that's just my guess!

[steveb]

wouldnt the driver of the "car" see the headlights come on as normal, and an outside observer not see any lights come on?

[RATTER15]

I think he would be driving in the dark as the light would not be travelling fast enough to be in front of him!!

any outside observers would probably be vapourised, the speed of light is a bit quick 186,000 miles a second or 700 million miles an hour.

[Clanad]

Take your pick of these many responses to the same question:

http://www.theanswerbank.co.uk/Science/Questio n351354.html
http://www.theanswerbank.co.uk/Science/Questio n193853.html
http://www.theanswerbank.co.uk/Science/Questio n286806.html
http://www.theanswerbank.co.uk/Science/Questio n80482.html

[redhead23]

sounds like being a passenger in my grannys skoda good times i tell ya

[OBonio]

Court summons and probably a TT99 endorsement on the driver's license and a disqualification.

[spudmuffa]

You nearly got me on this one. Why would he want to turn on the headlights? Hope this helps.

[fo3nix]

brian j john: it doesn't matter. Nothing can travel at the speed of light except light itself (in vacuum I'm talking here); so anyone's guess is as good as anyone else's as the question has no answer.

[shaun_04]

The effect that would take place would be pretty much the same as a sonic boom...

[landie]

Speed is relative.

We are all travelling at the speed of light if compared to something travelling away from us at that speed (S.O.L).

[knobbynonuts]

help,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,

[knobbynonuts]

chrash and burn I tink..........

[dosset]

yes Brian J John thats just what I was asking
it was a stupid question that came up in the pub after a few drinks
thanks for all the answers

[joynesey]

you wouldn't get the chance as once you reached this kind of speed you would turn to smoosh

[Jay12345]

accaully if you was travelling at the speed of light, so would the light from the headlights. Because as the light source itself is coming from the object itself the beam would be coming out and travelling at the speed of light also