Mass and energy when traveling at near the speed of light

In summary, the speed of light is limited because as an object approaches the speed of light, its mass increases, making it harder and harder to accelerate. Light is affected by gravity near black holes because it follows the curvature of spacetime created by the mass of the black hole, even though it has no mass itself. This is explained by Einstein's theory of general relativity.
  • #1
divya_basuti
3
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I was reading about the speed of light and it says that no object can travel at the speed of light because the mass of the object increases as it moves faster. How is that possible?

Also if light travels at such a speed because it has no mass, then why does light get affected by gravity near black holes? Doesn't an object need mass to feel the effect of gravity?
 
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  • #2
divya_basuti said:
I was reading about the speed of light and it says that no object can travel at the speed of light because the mass of the object increases as it moves faster. How is that possible?

What do you mean by "How is that possible?" We observe that it happens, so evidently it's possible.

divya_basuti said:
Also if light travels at such a speed because it has no mass, then why does light get affected by gravity near black holes? Doesn't an object need mass to feel the effect of gravity?

We have a FAQ about this: https://www.physicsforums.com/showthread.php?t=511173
 

Related to Mass and energy when traveling at near the speed of light

1. What is the relationship between mass and energy when traveling at near the speed of light?

According to Einstein's Theory of Relativity, mass and energy are equivalent and can be converted into one another. When an object is traveling at near the speed of light, its mass increases, and its energy also increases.

2. How is mass affected as an object approaches the speed of light?

As an object moves closer to the speed of light, its mass increases significantly. This is due to the energy required to accelerate the object, which adds to its mass according to Einstein's famous equation, E=mc².

3. Can an object with mass ever reach the speed of light?

According to the Theory of Relativity, no object with mass can ever reach the speed of light. As an object's speed increases, its mass also increases, making it more difficult to accelerate further. At the speed of light, an object's mass would become infinite, requiring an infinite amount of energy to continue accelerating.

4. What happens to an object's energy as it approaches the speed of light?

As an object's speed approaches the speed of light, its energy also increases exponentially. This is because the object's mass is increasing, and energy and mass are directly related according to Einstein's equation, E=mc².

5. Are there any practical applications of understanding mass and energy at near-light speeds?

Yes, understanding mass and energy at near-light speeds is essential for fields such as particle physics and nuclear energy. It also helps us understand the behavior of objects in outer space, such as stars and black holes, where speeds near the speed of light are common.

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