Suppose you're traveling on a space ship at 9/10 the speed of light (.9c). You have a high-powered rifle that shoots bullets at the same speed. Suppose you shoot the bullet perpendicular to your direction of travel.

It appears that the bullet would travel at a 45-degree angle (northeast, if the ship is traveling north and the bullet is shot eastward), at about 1.2728c which is faster than light. Why is this wrong, and what would the actual speed and direction be?

It seems to me, implying that there is no friction, that if you are going in a speed, and send something away from you at the same speed, like this question the solution would have to be like this;

The bullet would be going in the same velosity as it started both the direction you are going and the way you sent it. There for it Would be going 45 degrees and it would only seem slower if you couldn't tell it was getting farther away. Btw, the two speeds would not effect each other in any way, just the directions.

Posted by Mike on 2005-05-04 19:31:19