+243 votes
in Speed of Light by
edited by

Your answer

Your name to display (optional):
Privacy: Your email address will only be used for sending these notifications.
+223 votes
by

According to our current understanding of physics, it is not possible for an object with mass to reach or exceed the speed of light in a vacuum. The theory of special relativity, developed by Albert Einstein, states that as an object with mass accelerates, its energy and momentum increase, and as it approaches the speed of light, its mass would effectively become infinite. This means that it would require an infinite amount of energy to accelerate an object with mass to the speed of light, which is impossible to achieve.

Moreover, special relativity predicts that as an object with mass accelerates closer to the speed of light, its length contracts in the direction of motion, and time dilation occurs, meaning time slows down for the moving object relative to a stationary observer. These effects become more significant as the object's velocity approaches the speed of light. Therefore, from your perspective as the runner, time would appear to slow down significantly, and lengths in the direction of your motion would contract. However, for an outside observer, it would still appear impossible for you to reach or exceed the speed of light.

It's worth noting that the concept of running at the speed of light is purely hypothetical, as no known form of matter can achieve or surpass that velocity.

Welcome to Physicsgurus Q&A, where you can ask questions and receive answers from other members of the community.
...