I am looking for some ideas on this that do not rely on "because e=mc2" or because you would become infinitely or need infinite energy. What is it about the speed of light that makes it special. Would the speed of light be different if some other fundamental aspect of the universe were different. Don`t give me any equations because I won`t understand them.
2007-05-14 06:53:06 · 10 answers · asked by Anonymous in Science & Mathematics ➔ Physics
OK maybe a better way of exploring this is to ask why is the speed of light what it is and not some other value?
2007-05-14 08:18:50 · update #1
We do not know that it is impossible to exceed the speed of light, even though most Physicists will insist that it is impossible. To "know" something you must know the absolute truth and, at this point in time, we do not. Remember, Gallelio tried to tell everyone the Sun was the center of the Universe. Others believed the Earth was flat. All of these were considered to be absolute "known" conditions at one point in time.
It is much more correct to say that the best theory that we have to date says that it is impossible to do so. Einstein said energy is mass and mass is energy or said differently, energy can be converted into mass and vice versa. So far, this theory tends to hold true, and the constant that relates these two values is the speed of light squared.
Most theories that it might be possible to exceed the speed of light are based on the concept that we might be able to warp the time-space continuum. The easy way to think of this is that you are on a road that is shaped like the letter C. To drive from one end to the other, you have to go a certain distance and that will take a certain time based upon your speed. However, if the C were a space time continuum and we bent the C so that the two ends crossed and you could just drive from one to the other without going all the way around the C, then you could do so in much less time. So your effective speed could be much higher and from an earth time perspective it might appear that you had exceeded the speed of light without actually having to do so locally.
The only true reason I can give you as to why it is impossible to exceed the speed of light is because we have never seen anything that is capable of doing so. That doesn't mean it's impossible, just that we have never seen it. Since our theories are based upon what we have seen and what we can measure our theories at this time say that we cannot exceed the speed of light.
If you've got another idea, go study Physics and tell us what we are missing (because who knows, we may be missing something important!). The world could use another Einstein about now.
2007-05-14 07:35:04 · answer #1 · answered by Scott W 3 · 0⤊ 1⤋
I think that a good answer to this question is simply causality. Basically the speed of light dictates the highest rate that information about and event can be transmitter, whether by gravity or light or whatever. If you could exceed this value then you would violate causality. An events outcome would occur before the trigger that started the event. You would be able to travel fast enough to shift into a frame where the explosion happened before the missile was fired. As for why the speed of light is the value that it is I guess it just depends on the electromagnetic constants that this universe was born with, no real explanation for it.
2007-05-14 07:37:22 · answer #2 · answered by mistofolese 3 · 0⤊ 0⤋
You can't expect to ask physics questions without getting some math in the answer. To understand physics at more than an extremely superficial level, you have to understand math first. That's just the way it is.
Anyway, objects with real rest mass must travel at less than the speed of light (for the reason you stated yourself--that kinetic energy goes up to infinity as the speed approaches c). Objects with imaginary mass (called tachyons, which probably don't exist, might) must travel at more than the speed of light (for similar reasons). Objects with no rest mass (photons, gravitons) travel AT the speed of light.
The speed of light is a fundamental constant of nature. It is so fundamental that in advanced physics, we usually just set it to 1 and have lengths and times defined using the same units. We don't have the slightest idea why it is what it is.
People have speculated that the speed of light might change over time. While this can't be entirely ruled out, there is no reason to think that c changes under different circumstances or has changed in the past.
2007-05-14 07:06:04 · answer #3 · answered by Anonymous · 0⤊ 0⤋
you've got to remember that under the current "rules" an object can't travel faster than light. As you increase an objects speed it gains mass, and therefore requires more energy to keep it accelerating. You eventually get to the point where the object has an almost infinite mass requiring an almost infinite amount of energy to keep the acceleration going. However, during the time of creation, the conditions were so extreme... massive temperatures, strange particles and massive pressures that our current "rules" didnt hold good. If there was a whole new set of laws, who is to say that the expansion of the universe at light speed or greater couldnt happen?
2016-04-01 00:51:54 · answer #4 · answered by Anonymous · 0⤊ 0⤋
It is impossible to travel the speed of light because the laws of physics in this universe say so. Every piece of matter in this universe is too massive to travel at such speeds without breaking down. The only known particles that are able to do this are photons (photons ARE the light that we see), because they are the least massive particles humans have found. It is difficult for us to comprehend that because everything we touch has a mass and takes some energy to move. (however with particle accelerators, humans can move particles with more mass than photons at speeds near the speed of light) Photons, however, are so light that they can be moved with minimal force. There is much more to this question that I do not know. There really is no "simple" answer.
2007-05-14 07:07:52 · answer #5 · answered by Ian N 1 · 0⤊ 0⤋
since you dont want equations and i agree with the first answer to this questions
I'm going to give you the layman's explanation
You cannot exceed the speed of light simple because you can't see the light
I mean you see light but you can't stare at the air and actually SEE those light waves. And if you've ever tried to stare at the air, you have more wrong with you than not being able to go faster than the speed of light.
And how can you race the opponent you can't see?
Someone's been listening to some songs that are TOO deep.
anyways GL with this and maybe you should go to college and major in something like this
And Harness the energy from the black hole we need to complete the time machine. lmao
2007-05-14 07:06:15 · answer #6 · answered by Anonymous · 0⤊ 0⤋
In this universe the mass of object reaching speed of light becomes infinite
On other universe who knows?
2007-05-14 07:12:54 · answer #7 · answered by maussy 7 · 0⤊ 0⤋
Because mass increases to infinity at the speed of light.
If you want to understand, learn to understand the equations. You can do it, and then you will be able to tell when people talk nonsense to you.
2007-05-14 07:11:17 · answer #8 · answered by Richard F 7 · 0⤊ 0⤋
Because time will stop to count on at the speed of light...beyond that more slowing down means counting back...
2007-05-14 07:03:15 · answer #9 · answered by Anonymous · 0⤊ 0⤋
You have ruled out all answers to your question.
Why did you ask it?
2007-05-14 06:58:00 · answer #10 · answered by Anonymous · 0⤊ 0⤋