Which moves faster when you look up into the sky while on a date?

[zzzz]

Relative to the observer on earth, the moon will move faster irrespective to the speed of earth, as the clouds will move along with earth.

 

[Kadarin]

The question is meaningless, because per Einstein, all movement has to be relative to something else, and this has not been specified in the question.

-j

 

[Jfur]

<< I was just thinking, we're in Los Angeles, and the pollution is so bad that you don't see the clouds at night, but then I just realized that sometimes they DO appear... damnit >>



I remember glowing pink and orange night clouds :Q

 

[flavio]

Forget the sky and just concentrate on getting to the next base.

 

[ILikeSprite]

da moon.

 

[yellowvespa]

3rd post down hit it right on the head. The clouds appear to be moving faster from a visual standpoint but the moon is actually moving at a much (very much) faster rate.

 

[911paramedic]

Thats why he is teaching science, he looked up while on a date and she left, he had nothing else to do after that.

Why are you looking up in the first place!?

 

[jjones]

<< "When you're on a date, and you're walking together and looking up at the sky, which is moving faster, the MOON, or the CLOUDS?" >>


i dunno but if you're going to get laid you better be moving faster than both of them.

 

[bjb86s]

<< The answer really depends upon where you choose as your fixed point. Since the fixed point would appear to be you as you stand on the surface of the earth, then the moon is easily moving with a greater velocity relative to you. As long as you mention that you are taking the person standing and looking at the clouds and the moon as the initial reference point, I don't see how you could be wrong to say that the moon is moving faster. Also, picking the person as the initial reference point conviently sidesteps the problem of figuring out whether the moon is travelling faster than the earth relative to the sun. Just disregard everything in parentheses unless you are rather impervious to confusion. (The moon is moving faster than the earth relative to the sun through half it's orbit, but through the other half of the moon's orbit it is moving more slowly than the earth relative to the sun, though there are two points at which the speed of the moon is exactly the same as the speed of the earth relative to the sun.) ZV >>



One question about reference/fixed point: If you interpret the problem verbatim, the oberserver is walking. Would this change the answer significantly?

I'm still curious as to why the date comes into play... why not just ask which moves faster?

 

[conjur]

<< I'm still curious as to why the date comes into play... why not just ask which moves faster? >>



Does no one have a sense of humor or imagination? It's to dress up the story/question. It's one of those things your grandfather would pull on you as a kid.

 

[eyecandy]

<< OMG this whole place is filled with nerds. You never look up at the sky during a date unless she is also, and the correct answer is whatever she says it is. >>


Lol, good answer. Someone trained you well.

 

[Beattie]

It's a little thing called "Parallax"

 

[Croton]

maybe the professor means that you are standing on a date -- the fruit kind.

 

[DanFungus]

depends on which way you're walking, and which way the clouds/moon are going

 

[GrumpyMan]

Neither, while looking up you walked into a tree and knocked yourself out.

 

[Atlantean]

Moon would have the fastest speed, but is it the speed that you can see or the speed that is actually happening?

 

[OrByte]

This silly question deserves an equally silly response:

The answer is that if you are out on a date walking you are obviously looking down the girls blouse or at her rear..... looking up at the sky is completely out of the question.


I bet your prof. would appreciate your honesty....and besides, it was his question to ask....you are just giving him your honest response right??

 

[pookguy88]

obviously it has something to do with date......

 

[erikiksaz]

Chances are, since your professor threw in the whole "date" thing, i'd suspect the clouds, since a date only lasts for a few hours, on average. In a few hours, does the moon even move that much? -visually, i might add.

 

[Xenon14]

Clearly no one bothered to read my post.

 

[hans007]

the clouds are orbiting the sun at 67000 mph also. because they are on earth. they are all really moving the same speed. it depends on perspective.