This is a thought experiment Einstein might have done (not necessarily in the way I have described but the idea is interesting)
A light wave is an electromagnetic wave (EM Wave) which has oscillating electric and magnetic fields. Suppose Einstein travels with the wave at the speed of light! What will he see?
A light wave is an electromagnetic wave (EM Wave) which has oscillating electric and magnetic fields. Suppose Einstein travels with the wave at the speed of light! What will he see?
He will see a constant electric field - this will not generate any oscillating magnetic field which in turn cannot generate an electric field. There will be no oscillating electric and magnetic fields that typify an EM wave. It would seem that no wave would appear to exist.
This is the interesting part - if you travel with the speed of light then you can not transmit or receive information: there are no EM waves.This encouraged Einstein to postulate that speed of light is the maximum speed allowed and nothing can move with a speed greater than the speed of light.
This is the interesting part - if you travel with the speed of light then you can not transmit or receive information: there are no EM waves.This encouraged Einstein to postulate that speed of light is the maximum speed allowed and nothing can move with a speed greater than the speed of light.
Not tremendously convincing but the idea is interesting.
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