posted
Ive heard many varying ideas on what speed Warp actually is. Does anyone know what speed warp one is? Warp 2? Warp 3? Ect? This has probably been asked before, but I havent seen it.
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posted
Depends on the warp scale you're using. The one from The Next Generation onwards using a very complex set of equations to figure out how many times the speed of light a warp factor is. The approximate values can be found in the TNG Technical Manual. I don't have that available at the moment, but I sure someone else here does.
On a side note, do we know when the TNG warp scale actually came into use in the Trek universe? For some reason, I seem to think that The Undiscovered Country was using the TNG scale, but I don't know why I would think that.
The TOS warp scale is a different beast that has its warp factors advance in a linear fashion with no upper limit (unlike the TNG scale which has an overall curvilinear shape that has no definite end but approaches factor 10). I believe the way of figuring out the TOS speed corrolation is to cube the factor number. Thus Warp 2 is 8 times the speed of light, Warp 3 is 27 times the speed of light, et cetra.
Both systems have one thing in common. Warp 1 is equal is to just a slight bit faster than the speed of light (because I believe its impossible to be at precisely the speed of light -- someone will correct me if I'm wrong).
-------------------- The philosopher's stone. Those who possess it are no longer bound by the laws of equivalent exchange in alchemy. They gain without sacrifice and create without equal exchange. We searched for it, and we found it.
Speed (in multiples of light speed) = Warp Factor^3
In TNG the scale was recalibrated. Beginning with Warp 1, all values for the speed are a bit higher at the same warp factors.
At Warp 10, finally, speed becomes infinite, which has been subject to a lot of confusion since several people claim (and VOY: "Threshold" even shows) that Warp 10 can be reached or even exceeded. That's bogus because all very fast speeds are simply "compressed" in a range between Warp 9 and Warp 10, and there is definitely nothing faster than infinite speed.
Da_bang80
A few sectors short of an Empire
Member # 528
posted
I'm just gonna say that warp speed is really really fast. and leave it at that. but i guess there'd be no reason for this category then.
-------------------- Grant me the serenity to accept the things I cannot change. The courage to change the things I cannot accept. And the wisdom to hide the bodies of all the people I had to kill today because they pissed me off.
posted
We should also mention that the "TOS scale" is basically a fan invention. I don't think that it was ever officially recognized (made "canon") either during the run of the show or retroactively by a later series.
Registered: Oct 1999
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OnToMars
Now on to the making of films!
Member # 621
posted
Perhaps the new scale was introduced with the movie tech?
Er...and by that I mean TMP and refit Enterprise?
[ August 15, 2001: Message edited by: Stingray ]
-------------------- If God didn't want us to fly, he wouldn't have given us Bernoulli's Principle.
Registered: Jun 2001
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The w^3 scale isn't canon, is it? It's just accepted since Franz Joseph wrote his book over 20 years ago. Whatever they use in Enterprise, it probably won't be w^3.
Mark
[ August 15, 2001: Message edited by: Mark Nguyen ]
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Ya know what? I could have sworn that I had put in there that the TOS scale system I wrote about was a fandom design. I need to start proof reading my posts a little more carefully.
Anyway, yes, the TOS scale system that uses the factor cubed is non-canon and originated in Franz Joseph's Starfleet Technical Manual (I think that part at least is correct). All we know about the TOS system is relative. In "By Any Other Name," it took Kelvan engineering to get the Enterprise up to Warp 14. Spock announced amazement in "Journey to Babel" that the Orion ship was shooting by at Warp 10.
-------------------- The philosopher's stone. Those who possess it are no longer bound by the laws of equivalent exchange in alchemy. They gain without sacrifice and create without equal exchange. We searched for it, and we found it.
posted
Actually, ENT seems to be planning to stick somewhat close to the WF^3 formula, based on that line from the promo: "Neptune and back in six minutes."
-------------------- “Those people who think they know everything are a great annoyance to those of us who do.” — Isaac Asimov Star Trek Minutiae | Memory Alpha
Registered: Nov 2000
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I did these calcs before: Since Neptune is 30 AUs out from the sun, a 6-minute round trip means a speed of around 10 AU/minute or 1/6 AU per second (if we assume we're starting from the sun rather than earth. If we're leaving from earth, the trip can range from 58 to 62 AU). Light speed is 1 AU per 500 seconds or 1/500 AU per second. Therefore, Enterprise is going 500/6 x light speed or about 83.3 c. What would the speeds be on the TOS fan and TNG scales?
-------------------- When you're in the Sol system, come visit the Starfleet Museum
Registered: Oct 1999
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posted
Quick note: the TOS scale was not invented by Franz Joseph for his Star Fleet Technical Manual. It is found in The Making of Star Trek, circa 1968. I can't remember if it is in a Rodenberry-quoted section or in the text proper. In any case, it was around during the run of the original series, whether it was ultimately used or not. Joseph just copied it from there, as with most of his stuff.
posted
I wouldn't mind seeing then the lovely effects of cabin fever on Enterprise if that became an episode.
-------------------- "It speaks to some basic human needs: that there is a tomorrow, it's not all going to be over with a big splash and a bomb, that the human race is improving, that we have things to be proud of as humans." -Gene Roddenberry about Star Trek
Registered: May 1999
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Rigel X is 15 light years from the SS Enterprise NX-01's position. The position is never given a location or a name. By inference, I assume that the ship is in deep space.
At warp four point five, the SS Enterprise NX-01 is traveling at 13,000 kph per second. Travel time to Klingon is 4 days in, 4 days out. Travel time is based on a ship traveling at warp 4.5.
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At warp 4.5, they can only cover one light-year in four days. Not very far at all, is it?
-------------------- “Those people who think they know everything are a great annoyance to those of us who do.” — Isaac Asimov Star Trek Minutiae | Memory Alpha
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