I've been thinking, and have come up with a question, to which I have no answer. I was hoping one or more of these delightful forumers would help me. Let us imagine that we are in the Einsteinian train compartment. The curtains are drawn and the train is moving along smoothly. If the compartment has very good springs, you can't tell that you are moving. That is the Law of Relativity. Now let's say that you are still on this train, but it has somehow accelerated to 299,999.999999 kps. One one-millionth of a kilometer per second less than the speed of light. Now the train has stopped accelerating and is moving smoothly. You cannot estimate your speed. Now you pick up a ball you find laying in the room. You try throwing it in the direction the train is moving. If you throw it, it will go more than one one-millionth of a kps. But if it does, then it will be going faster than the speed of light. So, its intertia prevents you from throwing it. But then wouldn't you have violated the Law of Relativity by knowing that you are moving because you can't throw the ball. Please answer, although it was a tad longer than I had anticipated.

• You can throw the ball... - bruce - March 14, 2002 - 06:20 UTC
• The key to the answer - zanket - March 18, 2002 - 16:59 UTC
  • Bruce - bruce - March 18, 2002 - 20:42 UTC
    • Thank you - splat - March 19, 2002 - 04:27 UTC
• Special relativity illumination - kjavds - May 24, 2002 - 09:56 UTC