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Abhijeet Melkani
Abhijeet Melkani
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As I understand it, the special theory of relativity is based on two principles - that there is no preferred inertial frame (which is common sensical once we realize that all motion is relative motion) and that the speed of light has the same value when measured in any inertial frame (which is implied by Maxwell's equations and can be verified experimentally).

To reconcile these two principles, Einstein postulated that measured values of length-intervals and time-intervals between two events be dependent on the frame of reference and thus he arrived at the Lorentz transformations.

Now, the formula for the Lorentz transformations forbids any speed higher than the speed of light in order to keep the intervals "real" and therefore light must be the maximum possible speed.

So my question is: Is this (light having maximum speed) an implication only of the kind of transformations involved in STR or is there some general physical principle that would be violated if we have a body traveling at a higher speed than light? Is some thought experiment possible to argue that if the speed of light is invariant then it must also be the maximum speed?

As I understand it, the special theory of relativity is based on two principles - that there is no preferred inertial frame (which is common sensical once we realize that all motion is relative motion) and that the speed of light has the same value when measured in any inertial frame (which is implied by Maxwell's equations and can be verified experimentally).

To reconcile these two principles, Einstein postulated that measured values of length-intervals and time-intervals between two events be dependent on the frame of reference and thus he arrived at the Lorentz transformations.

Now, the formula for the Lorentz transformations forbids any speed higher than the speed of light in order to keep the intervals "real" and therefore light must be the maximum possible speed.

So my question is: Is this (light having maximum speed) an implication of the kind of transformations involved in STR or is there some general physical principle that would be violated if we have a body traveling at a higher speed than light? Is some thought experiment possible to argue that if the speed of light is invariant then it must also be the maximum speed?

As I understand it, the special theory of relativity is based on two principles - that there is no preferred inertial frame (which is common sensical once we realize that all motion is relative motion) and that the speed of light has the same value when measured in any inertial frame (which is implied by Maxwell's equations and can be verified experimentally).

To reconcile these two principles, Einstein postulated that measured values of length-intervals and time-intervals between two events be dependent on the frame of reference and thus he arrived at the Lorentz transformations.

Now, the formula for the Lorentz transformations forbids any speed higher than the speed of light in order to keep the intervals "real" and therefore light must be the maximum possible speed.

So my question is: Is this (light having maximum speed) an implication only of the kind of transformations involved in STR or is there some general physical principle that would be violated if we have a body traveling at a higher speed than light? Is some thought experiment possible to argue that if the speed of light is invariant then it must also be the maximum speed?

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Abhijeet Melkani
Abhijeet Melkani
  • 1.7k
  • 12
  • 26

From the speed of light being an invariant to being the maximum possible speed

As I understand it, the special theory of relativity is based on two principles - that there is no preferred inertial frame (which is common sensical once we realize that all motion is relative motion) and that the speed of light has the same value when measured in any inertial frame (which is implied by Maxwell's equations and can be verified experimentally).

To reconcile these two principles, Einstein postulated that measured values of length-intervals and time-intervals between two events be dependent on the frame of reference and thus he arrived at the Lorentz transformations.

Now, the formula for the Lorentz transformations forbids any speed higher than the speed of light in order to keep the intervals "real" and therefore light must be the maximum possible speed.

So my question is: Is this (light having maximum speed) an implication of the kind of transformations involved in STR or is there some general physical principle that would be violated if we have a body traveling at a higher speed than light? Is some thought experiment possible to argue that if the speed of light is invariant then it must also be the maximum speed?