Question for the physics peeps

Post by **Cool Blue** » Fri Jun 03, 2005 6:40 pm

Light is such a hard concept to study, I'm having trouble trying to find information on a particular aspect of light.

Can light particles collide with each other, thereby altering their direction of travel?

Say for example, you could perfectly align the frequency of the two opposing photon particle streams so they would intersect in perfect unison, not just geometrically, but in unison with the frequency of the photon oscillation(like the way they do in particle accelerators).

So the question is; Could you be able to create such a circumstance and have a perfect collision of photons; and would one photon have any affect on the other (such as altering its direction or what have you)?

Keep It Real · Post by **Keep It Real** » Fri Jun 03, 2005 6:41 pm

does this look like homework3world to you, son :icon7:

Post by **Cool Blue** » Fri Jun 03, 2005 6:44 pm

I'm a science enthusiast, not a current student. This is to resolve an issue I'm pondering in regards to an idea I have

Post by **[xeno]Julios** » Fri Jun 03, 2005 6:46 pm

Keep It Real wrote:does this look like homework3world to you, son :icon7:

:icon27:

Post by **[xeno]Julios** » Fri Jun 03, 2005 6:46 pm

http://www.google.com/search?hl=en&q=ph ... gle+Search

Post by **iambowelfish** » Fri Jun 03, 2005 7:21 pm

K how about this one. Let's say I have a rigid metal pole that's one light minute long.

I use it to poke things in space.

When I move my end of the pole, does the other end move instantaneously?

Post by **Cool Blue** » Fri Jun 03, 2005 7:23 pm

If you're in your car travelling at the speed of light and you turn on your headlights; does anything happen?

Post by **[xeno]Julios** » Fri Jun 03, 2005 7:27 pm

iambowelfish wrote:K how about this one. Let's say I have a rigid metal pole that's one light minute long.

I use it to poke things in space.

When I move my end of the pole, does the other end move instantaneously?

good question - the answer is no - in order for that to happen, you'd need complete rigidity, which is a theoretical impossibility.

the pole would take time for the force to pass through.

Post by **bitWISE** » Fri Jun 03, 2005 7:30 pm

If a dog farts at a school for deaf children does it make a noise?

Post by **Pext** » Fri Jun 03, 2005 9:08 pm

Keep It Real wrote:does this look like homework3world to you, son :icon7:

i bet you don't know the answer anyways.

Post by **Pext** » Fri Jun 03, 2005 9:09 pm

bitWISE wrote:If a dog farts at a school for deaf children does it make a noise?

is the dog deaf?

Post by **tnf** » Fri Jun 03, 2005 10:44 pm

There are science types here?