Braingle: 'Speed of Light' Brain Teaser

Speed of Light

Science brain teasers require understanding of the physical or biological world and the laws that govern it.

Puzzle ID:	#3613
Fun:	(2.38)
Difficulty:	(1.03)
Category:	Science
Submitted By:	bobbrt
Corrected By:	Winner4600

Many years ago, a scientist decided to try an experiment to determine the speed of light. He would have his assistant stand at one end of a beach with a powerful flashlight, and the scientist would stand at the other end of the beach, five hundred yards away, with a stopwatch. The assistant would raise his hand and turn on the light at the same time. The scientist would time the difference between when he saw the assistant's hand go up and when he saw the light, and would calculate the speed of light, knowing the distance between them.
Now, we all know that light travels too quickly for the scientist to have even noticed a difference. However, if light traveled very slowly, the experiment would still have failed. Why?

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Comments

AbdulAziz Apr 21, 2002	Very Simple, but good for kids
O_wise_one Jun 04, 2002	I agree, very simple if you've every studied science, but still, a good teaser.
O_wise_one Jun 04, 2002	please don't mistake my criticism for cruelty.
bobbrt Jun 06, 2002	Boy, O Wise One, I was JUST about to mistake your criticism for cruelty. I had a VICIOUS rebuttal prepared, using lots of words like "@#$%" and "%$#&^%", and I even threw in a "$$#*&^" or two! Then, just as I was about to hit the "Add Comment" button, I saw your second comment. Now my mind is filled with thoughts of rainbows and gumdrops, and the world seems to be a much happier place. Thank you for your constructive and non-antagonistic criticism.
steph Jun 15, 2002	You just need logic to answer this, not really science. But a good teaser, which has brighhtened my day no end!
shop-a-holic Aug 30, 2002	Hey bobbrt, if that waz da case then how com u sent urs 2 days l8er?
dsquared Jun 28, 2005	I can't believe it's taken me this long to see this string of comments on a teaser. For me it has to go down as one of the funnier. And shopaholic... though you will probably never read this, he was ... errr... joking.
jsdodgers Oct 03, 2007	Shop-a-holic: ITS CALLED SARCASM!!!!!