: : : is true, does that mean that the movement of the trains are broken down : : into frames as if it were a film on in movie? Assuming I wrote down the : : number 1 then 0.5 then 0.25 then 0.125 and kept halving it each time, so : : on.... I would never reach 0 (the point of collision). Therefore it is possible : : for the trains to continue to move towards each other for infinity and never : : collide. I just don't understand at what point do the trains reach 0 (the point : : of collision) seeing how there can be an infinite amount of "distance" that : : the trains can travel within that remaining distance between the two trains. If : : there are an infinite amount of points between the two trains, how do they : : ever collide? It seems that they would continue to travel these infinite points : : never reaching the collision. There must be a point among the "infinite : : points" that is the point of collision? If you have any further ideas or : : theories please reply. Maybe I should majored in Physics instead. Thanks : : Again. : : Randy

: Your argument makes the assumption that the smallest particle at the front of both trains : is infinitely small. However, in reality their smallest particles have finite size (e.g. atoms, electrons) : which are involved.

: When the separation of the trains is one "atomic" spacing, they will not be touching. But there : could also be attraction between these atoms on each train. If the trains move closer the atomic : orbitals will overlap, forming a bond (pi bonds?), and the trains will therefore be touching!!

: Purely from a mathematical point of view, what you say makes sense but in reality physics, chemistry : mechanics etc. must also be considered!!! : What do you think?

: Fred.

The trains would hit because it takes 0 time to go through a single point. And it's rather amazing how everything that moves go's though an infinate amount of points every second.

But the trains COULD move at each other forever and never collide, but only if there speed was reduced at the same rate as there distance. lets ignore the electrons and atoms for a sec and asume that the front of the trains are PERFECTLY flat, which is impossible but lets asume. If the trains distance and velocity went like this they would never colide. distance = 16 m, velocity = 16 m/s distance = 8 m, velocity = 8 m/s distance = 4 m, velocity = 4 m/s distance = 2 m, velocity = 2 m/s etc.... distance = 0 m, velocity = 0 m/s .. touch point which would take forever.

Now just for kicks you can see that if you use the formula t = d / v then it always take some time for the two trains to hit. In this situation it would always take one second. But the trains are decelerating continually.

NOW lets asume that the we DONT decelerate distance = 16 m, velocity = 16 m/s, time = 1 sec distance = 8 m, velocity = 16 m/s, time = 1/2 sec distance = 4 m, velocity = 16 m/s, time = 1/4 sec etc... distance = 0 m, velocity = 16 m/s, time = 0 sec Touch point would happen in 1 second from the start point, and go through and infinite amount of "points" to get there

• Raptor - RFL - September 10, 1998 - 20:05 UTC
• Re: Okay guys,The final train crash. Re: Minimum Distance - Tomislav_Strelar/">Tomislav Strelar - September 10, 1998 - 20:39 UTC