The motivation to these proposals is mainly theoretical, based on the following observation: The Planck energy is expected to play a fundamental role in a theory of quantum gravity, setting the scale at which quantum gravity effects cannot be neglected and new phenomena might become important. If special relativity is to hold up exactly to this scale, different observers would observe quantum gravity effects at different scales, due to the Lorentz–FitzGerald contraction, in contradiction to the principle that all inertial observers should be able to describe phenomena by the same physical laws.
Nothing, at least not according to Special Relativity. You're confusing Length Contraction, which is a coordinate effect defined by SR, with what happens to an object when you accelerate it, for which SR has nothing to say.brianhurren said:I was thinking about the special theory of relativity and how as one approaches the speed of light, ones length contracts. what I would like to know is: If I had an object and I accelerated it towards the speed of light and it contracts in the direction of travel, what happens when it reaches Planck length?
The speed of light is a fundamental constant in physics, denoted by the symbol c. It is approximately 299,792,458 meters per second in a vacuum, and is considered to be the maximum speed at which all energy, matter, and information in the universe can travel.
The Planck length is another fundamental constant in physics, denoted by the symbol ℓP. It is approximately 1.616 x 10-35 meters and is considered to be the smallest possible length in the universe. The speed of light and the Planck length are related through the Planck time, which is the time it takes light to travel a distance of one Planck length in a vacuum. This relationship is given by c = ℓP/tP.
The speed of light and the Planck length are both fundamental constants that play a crucial role in our understanding of the universe. They are important in theories such as general relativity and quantum mechanics and have helped us develop a deeper understanding of space, time, and the fundamental forces of nature.
According to the theory of relativity, nothing can travel faster than the speed of light in a vacuum. This is considered to be a fundamental law of the universe. However, there are some theories that suggest the possibility of faster-than-light travel, such as the Alcubierre drive, but these are still hypothetical and have not been proven.
The speed of light is typically measured using a variety of methods, including using lasers, interferometers, and astronomical observations. The Planck length, on the other hand, is too small to be measured directly, so it is often derived from other fundamental constants such as the speed of light, the gravitational constant, and the reduced Planck constant.