I assume this has something to do with general relativity, but i don’t exactly get it so
In: Planetary Science
We can even explain it with special relativity. It takes infinite energy to do.
The lorentz factor, γ = 1/sqrt(1-v^(2)/c^(2)) approaches infinity as v approaches 0.
From the relativistic kinetic energy and momentum equations, we can get the following
v=pc^(2)/E
If we take the complete form of E=mc^2 (accounting for momentum)
E^(2)=(mc^(2))^2 + (pc)^2
Combining these two equations gives us
v=pc/sqrt((mc)^2 + p^(2))
As we can see, only when m=0 does v=c, and this is true for any momentum.
The derivation is left as an exercise for the reader
Massive particles need infinity energy to travel at c, and massless particles must travel at c.
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