How to Find the Relative Speed of Two Objects

Although you might not realize it, you're moving extremely fast, even if you think you're sitting still. After all, the Earth rotates at very swift speeds, which can reach as high as 465 meters per second at the equator. Of course, your perception of being stationary isn't unwarranted--you aren't moving relative to anything around. Similarly, when two objects are moving at different speeds, it's possible to calculate the velocity of one object relative to the other.

Things You'll Need

  • Calculator
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Instructions

    • 1

      Add the velocities of the two objects together to get their total velocity. For example, if you know that one Boeing 747, label it "A," is moving at 100 meters per second and the other, "B," is moving at 200 meters per second, you can add them as follows: 100 + 200 = 300 meters per second.

    • 2

      Multiply the two speeds together, divide them by the speed of light and add one to the value you come up with. The speed of light is 300,000,000 meters per second. Complete the calculation as follows: (100 x 200) / 300,000,000 = 20,000 / 300,000,000 = .0000667. Adding one to this gives you 1.0000667.

    • 3

      Divide your answer from Step 1 by your answer for Step 2. For the example calculation, this is 300 / 1.0000667 = 299.97 meters per second. The planes are moving at 299.97 meters per second relative to one another.

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