Re: NAC Big V8/brake lights

["Dean W. Cains" <dwc@domain.elided>]

Hi Tony:

You're on the right track about slower cars having trouble merging into 
traffic.  A car is actually larger (longer) at slower speeds than 
faster.  Here's the formula:

Length at a given velocity = length at rest multiplied by the square root 
of ( 1 - the given velocity squared / the speed of light squared)

The math is pretty simple, but you have to make sure the units match (i.e. 
if the length of the car is in meters, all the velocities have to be in 
meters per second).

Unfortunately, traveling really, really,really fast won't help in spots 
where the road gets narrow, as the length contraction only occurs in the 
direction of travel, so the car's width will stay constant.

Regards,

Dean
Lutz, FL
'74 & '87 Spider's (so far, I've only been able to reach 0.000000164 of 
light speed)


> The other behavior I find puzzling and amusing is the apparent belief that a
> car gets smaller at lower speeds.  There are a couple areas I pass through
> in my regular route where structures are close to the road, which apparently
> gives the impression that the road narrows.  Someone is always on the brakes
> in these spots, gaining that extra few inches needed to squeeze through. . .
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