Re: SCI: The light barrier

Dan Fabulich (daniel.fabulich@yale.edu)
Fri, 05 Dec 1997 22:44:49 -0500


At 04:19 PM 12/5/97 EST, you wrote:
>they say nothing travels faster than the speed of light, but what about when
>light comes near a black hole and it sucks it in, doesnt the light go faster
>then? And how does that change the light?

Nope... This effect will increase its frequency, but not its speed. As it
approaches a BH, it gains energy, given by E = hv (where h is Planck's
constant and v is the frequency). Since its speed is a constant given by c
= wavelength*frequency, its wavelength will also decrease as it increases
in frequency. So light will "blueshift" towards shorter wavelengths, but
won't increase in speed.

-YEAH BABY I CAN'T IMAGINE THAT YOU'D WANT ME TOO-