Certainly! The concept you're referring to is one of the fundamental principles of physics known as the "speed of light barrier" or "maximum velocity." According to our current understanding of the universe, as described by Albert Einstein's theory of relativity, the speed of light in a vacuum, denoted by 'c', is considered to be the ultimate speed limit in the cosmos.
The theory of relativity consists of two main parts: the special theory of relativity (STR) and the general theory of relativity (GTR). In the context of your question, we'll focus on the special theory of relativity, which deals with objects moving at constant speeds, especially in the absence of gravitational effects.
One of the key postulates of the special theory of relativity states that the laws of physics are invariant under Lorentz transformations. These transformations lead to some fascinating consequences, including time dilation, length contraction, and the so-called relativistic addition of velocities.
As an object approaches the speed of light, strange phenomena occur. Time dilation means that time appears to slow down for the moving object relative to a stationary observer. Length contraction means that the length of the object appears to shrink in the direction of its motion as observed by an external observer. These effects become more prominent as the velocity of the object increases.
Now, let's consider why there is a maximum velocity at which matter can travel, which is precisely the speed of light. As an object with mass approaches the speed of light, its relativistic mass increases, meaning that it requires more and more energy to accelerate further. As an object with mass approaches 'c', the amount of energy required to accelerate it to 'c' becomes infinite. This implies that it is impossible to reach or exceed the speed of light for an object with mass using finite energy.
Moreover, as an object with mass accelerates towards 'c', its relativistic mass continues to increase, causing its momentum to increase as well. However, at the speed of light, the object's relativistic mass would become infinite, and its momentum would also become infinite. This leads to the conclusion that it would take an infinite amount of energy to accelerate an object with mass to the speed of light, making it unattainable.
In summary, the speed of light acts as a universal speed limit because of the fundamental principles of the special theory of relativity. Objects with mass cannot reach or exceed the speed of light due to the infinite energy requirements and the resulting infinite relativistic mass and momentum. This limitation has been extensively verified through experiments and observations, making it a crucial aspect of our understanding of the physical laws governing the universe.