Mass Increase When Light Speed Increases: Einstein's Theory

  • Thread starter Phyzwizz
  • Start date
  • Tags
    Mass Speed
In summary, through Einstein's Theory of Special Relativity, it is known that as the speed of an object approaches that of light, its mass will increase. In the lab, scientists have been able to speed up light beyond its normal speed of 299 792 458 m / s. However, this does not mean that light has actually moved faster than light. Instead, researchers at Harvard have taken advantage of the medium's refractive index to achieve this apparent increase in speed. This raises the question of whether all the energy put into increasing the speed of light goes towards the increase in speed or if some of it is used to increase the mass of the photons.
  • #1
Phyzwizz
60
0
Through Einstein's Theory of Special Relativity it is known that as the speed of something approaches that of light its mass will increase.
In the lab scientists have sped light up past the speed of about 299 792 458 m / s (Light's normal speed). Since light is allowed to go beyond that which is the speed limit for all other things and seemingly has no resistance does all the energy go into the increase in speed or is some of it siphoned off for some reason and made to increase the mass of the photons?
 
Physics news on Phys.org
  • #3
So light, in fact, has not been made to move faster than light and what the researchers did (I think it was at Harvard) was to take advantage of the medium's refractive index? How disappointing.
 

FAQ: Mass Increase When Light Speed Increases: Einstein's Theory

How does light speed affect mass increase according to Einstein's theory?

According to Einstein's theory of special relativity, as the speed of an object approaches the speed of light, its mass increases. This is known as the mass-energy equivalence principle.

Is the mass increase due to the increase in speed or the increase in energy?

The mass increase is a result of the increase in energy. As an object's speed increases, its kinetic energy also increases, which in turn increases its mass.

Does this mean that as an object's speed increases, it also becomes more massive?

Yes, according to Einstein's theory, an object's mass increases as its speed increases. However, this effect is only significant at speeds approaching the speed of light.

What implications does this have for space travel and the concept of time?

This theory has significant implications for space travel, as it shows that as an object approaches the speed of light, its mass increases and therefore requires more energy to accelerate. This makes it practically impossible for humans to achieve the speed of light. Additionally, time dilation, or the slowing of time at high speeds, is also a result of this theory.

Has the mass increase due to light speed been observed in experiments?

Yes, this effect has been observed in many experiments, including the famous "faster-than-light" neutrino experiment at CERN, which later turned out to be a measurement error. Additionally, the mass increase of particles at high speeds is a well-established principle in particle physics.

Similar threads

B Experimental evidence for effective mass increasing with speed
Replies
11
Views
2K
B Why is Light Speed Invariant & Finite?
Replies
1
Views
1K
B Do Gravitational Forces Increase for Objects Moving at Light Speed?
Replies
16
Views
3K
B Ride Gravitational Waves to Increase Speed?
Replies
6
Views
1K
I Do objects gain mass while approaching light speed?
Replies
25
Views
2K
I Why does relativity not affect the speed of light?
Replies
32
Views
4K
B Why does it require an infinite amount of energy to reach the speed of light?
4
Replies
130
Views
10K
I Has anyone measured the speed of light in one direction?
2
Replies
45
Views
4K
B Why is it impossible to go faster than the speed of light?
Replies
21
Views
1K
B Speed of light and this Accelerating Rocket scenario
2
Replies
45
Views
4K

Hot Threads

Recent Insights

Back
Top