DIY - Deliciously Sweet Way to calculate the speed of light

InfiniteNow · 02-29-2008

This video was put together by someone I've never met, but whom I consider a friend. I am curious to hear your feedback. Enjoy.

YouTube - Astronomy Simplified (#3): Speed of...

Measuring the Speed of Light » SmarterThanThat

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Consider: You’re a deer on a dark road. A pair of headlights is suddenly approaching you. Fast. You stare at it intently… wondering - how fast is the light moving? Now, if you’re that deer, chances are this wouldn’t be your first concern. Or maybe it would. Maybe that’s why they take so long to move away – long calculations about the speed of light flood their minds..

Of course, any educated deer knows that light moves at approximately 300*10^8 meters per second, which is very fast. It is wise, therefore, to move away very fast. But, as luck goes, by the time that realization passes the deer’s mind… well, you know. Poor deer.

But, that’s life.

UncleAl · 03-01-2008

1) Lightspeed is defined, not calculated or measured: 299,792,458 m/s exactly,

2) Lightspeed is about a foot/nanosecond (0.98357 ft/ns).

3) Lightspeed is identical for all inertial observers. A photon's viewpoint is not an inertial frame of reference.

freeztar · 03-01-2008

That's a great video IN, thanks for sharing!! I wish I had more "real-life" friends like her, she seems like she would be fun to hang out with.

Welcome back UncleAl!

Can you expound upon number three a bit. It makes perfect sense to me, but it's always been something I've taken to be true without any way of specifically reasoning its validity, other than just assuming c. Maybe I just answered my own question...

InfiniteNow · 03-01-2008

Does anyone have any other ideas for DIY science experiments which can be fun and easy to do by just about anybody?

freeztar · 03-01-2008

Quote:

Originally Posted by InfiniteNow

Does anyone have any other ideas for DIY science experiments which can be fun and easy to do by just about anybody?

Mr. Wizard comes to mind. R.I.P.

InfiniteNow · 03-01-2008

Quote:

Originally Posted by freeztar

Mr. Wizard comes to mind. R.I.P.

Excellent suggestion.

I'll pass along the suggestion to her. Maybe she can come up with a modern spin on some of them.

Also, anyone willing, by Digging her video it would help her reach more people.