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How is it possible that the expansion of the universe is faster than the speed of light?
Wiki User
∙ 11y ago
Relativity theory establishes a speed limit for objects travelling through space - but the expansion of the universe is the expansion of space. There is no speed limit for that expansion.
Wiki User
∙ 11y ago
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How can the universe have a greater distance than its age if nothing can travel faster than the speed of light how is it possible that it is larger than 13.7 billion light years?
Nothing within the Universe can travel faster than the speed of light, but the Universe itself expanded to most of its present size with a rapid expansion event very early during the Big Bang. This rapid expansion occured independently of the laws which function within the Universe (i.e. those which limit speeds to c).
How can the universe be 156 billion years in diameter if it is only 14 billion light years old?
The diameter must be expressed in a unit of distance/length - for example in light-years - NOT in years. The answer is that the distant parts of the Universe are going away from us, faster than the speed of light. Inside its own local space, nothing can move faster than the speed of light. But in the case of the expansion of the Universe, you might say that space itself is expanding. This makes it possible for objects to move away from us faster than light.
How is light faster that sound?
light is faster than sound simply because it is. With the possible exception of neutrinos, light is the fastest thing in the universe. There are, however, supersonic jets in use by the military.
Which travels faster?
The speed of light (ca. 300,000 km/second) seems to be the speed limit in the Universe. Nothing is known to travel faster than light; it seems likely that travelling faster than light is not possible.
Is space expanding faster than the speed of light?
Yes. The farthest parts of the observable Universe are getting away from us, faster than the speed of light. The Wikipedia article on "metric expansion of space" can give you more information.
What whould happend if uneverse expand faster than speed of light?
the far away galaxies may be moving faster than the speed of light already. In general relativity theory, expansion of space is not limited to the speed of light as it is in special relativity
Are nao seconds faster than the speed of light?
No. It's not possible to go faster than the speed of light. The speed of light takes all the energy in the universe and if you somehow did manage to get going that fast you would cease to exist.
Why is the speed of light important in physics?
The speed of light seems to be a speed limit in the Universe - it isn't possible to transport matter, energy, or information faster than that. Others think that gravity travels faster; Einstein created a universe with an infinate speed of gravity -- it's in the geometry.
What travel fast light or sound in the universe?
light travels faster.
How is it possible for our light horizon to be 40 billion light years away when the universe is only 13.7 billion years old?
That means that this "horizon" is receding faster than the speed of light from us. In Special Relativity, moving faster than the speed of light is not possible, but in general relativity, it is possible under certain circumstances. "Locally", nothing can move faster than the speed of light - in this case, informally, it is "space itself that is expanding".
How universe is expanding at a rate faster than speed of light?
It is not. Nothing that we are aware of moves faster than light.
Will the universe explode when a faster than light speed hyperdrive is invented?
There is no evidence whatsoever that something like that will happen. What is it about the operation of any hyperdrive that would cause the universe to explode? Certainly there are different ideas floating around as the whether on not faster than light travel is possible, but none of them suggest that if it is possible, that the destruction of the universe will result if the technology is mastered.As to the idea that nothing can travel faster than the speed of light, there are (may be) "shortcuts" in spacetime which, when used, can make it appear that something has travelled faster than the speed of light. There is more to this, but it is carried under the heading of faster-than-light travel and not the "exploding universe" asked about here.One little problem with travelling faster than light is that no matter how it is achieved it is then, in principle, possible to travel backwards in time - which leads to difficult problems if you decide to change your own past. It would seem fairly obvious that you won't be able to, in fact you arrival in the past has already happened. However it is much, much harder to guess what actually stops you changing things. So if supraluminal travel is invented there will be contradictions in the universe. Whether the universe can be self-contradictory is another matter, but if, as we all assume, it can't, then presumablyfaster-than-light travel will only be possible in limited circumstances.
