Name: Jane K.
Status: educator
Age: 40s
Location: N/A
Country: N/A
Date: 5/28/2003
Question:
When you are driving side by side with another car, why does the other car appear to
be not moving, even though it is moving with the same speed as your car?
Replies:
It appears to be standing still because with respect to your frame of reference (your car) it is not
moving. This assumes that your car and the other one are not moving at, or near, the speed of light.
NEWTON is an electronic community for Science, Math, and Computer Science K-12 Educators, sponsored and operated by Argonne National Laboratory's Educational Programs, Andrew Skipor, Ph.D., Head of Educational Programs.