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  1. Naked Science Forum
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  3. Physics, Astronomy & Cosmology
  4. Do protons at the LHC collide faster than the speed of light?
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Do protons at the LHC collide faster than the speed of light?

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Francis Tapon

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Do protons at the LHC collide faster than the speed of light?
« on: 13/12/2008 19:32:53 »
Francis Tapon  asked the Naked Scientists:

Loved your show on the LHC!

When two cars going 50 kph run into each other, it's said that it's the
same as a single car running into a wall at 100 kph.

If two particles are going at nearly the speed of light and they smash into
each other, then can one say that it's like a single proton running into a
wall at two times the speed of light (i.e., 600,000 kps)?

Francis Tapon

What do you think?
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Offline lightarrow

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  • Do protons at the LHC collide faster than the speed of light?
    « Reply #1 on: 13/12/2008 20:49:03 »
    Quote from: Francis Tapon  on 13/12/2008 19:32:53
    Francis Tapon  asked the Naked Scientists:

    Loved your show on the LHC!

    When two cars going 50 kph run into each other, it's said that it's the
    same as a single car running into a wall at 100 kph.

    If two particles are going at nearly the speed of light and they smash into
    each other, then can one say that it's like a single proton running into a
    wall at two times the speed of light (i.e., 600,000 kps)?

    Francis Tapon

    What do you think?

    The correct formula for adding two velocities v1 and v2 is this:

    V = (v1 + v2)/(1 + v1*v2/c2)

    when v1 and v2 are little with respect to c, v1*v2/c2 becomes little with respect to 1, so you can neglect the term v1*v2/c2 and so you have:

    V ≈ v1 + v2

    Use the correct formula in these cases:

    1. v1 = v2 = 100 m/s
    2. v1 = 100 m/s; v2 = c
    3. v1 = v2 = c

    then write the answers here.
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    Offline chrisdsn

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  • Do protons at the LHC collide faster than the speed of light?
    « Reply #2 on: 14/12/2008 04:35:15 »
    No.

    > "When two cars going 50 kph run into each
    > other, it's said that it's the
    > same as a single car running into
    > a wall at 100 kph."

    It isn't; it's just *almost* the same. So, close that
    at that speed you couldn't tell. However, it will be
    very slightly less than 100 kph. At 500kph + 500kph
    it would be even more less than 1000kph, to the point
    that as you get faster and faster, you will never
    get a combined speed faster than the speed of
    light. From this basic fact you can work out a lot
    of the crazy consequences of special relativity: to
    keep things consistent things that move faster get
    shorter and time moves slower for them, for example.

    Since everything we deal with in our lives moves
    way slower than the speed of light, all this seems
    very counterintuitive. However, it is true. For example:
    the gps satellites orbit fast enough that you need to
    take into account for the fact that time moves slower
    for them, for them to give you an accurate position.
    Logged
     



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