What would happen to a 1/4 carat diamond if it actually reached or passed the speed of light?

Question

Forget all that "it can't happen" mumbo jumbo. Just tell me what would happen to the diamond if it did happen.

Answer 1

Asking questions that have no scientific basis really has no place in physics.  But the answer is simple....to an outsider, the diamond would shrink to nothing in the direction of travel and it would have infinite inertia (i.e., infinite momentum) if it reached light speed.  Finnally, time on the diamond would stop as an outsider would observe it.

If the diamond surpasses light speed, time, inertia, and length enter into the mathematical imaginary domain.  This does not mean time travels backward on the diamond, but it does mean time ceases to exist in our known, real universe.  Same for mass and travel length...imaginary.

Answer 2

Diamond has no particular privileges in this matter. It is impossible to attain exactly the speed of light but in principle one can get as close to it as one wants.

From the point of view of an observer on the ground, the diamond whooshing by at speed v would have much greater mass if its speed were very close to c: m = m0/sqrt[1 - v^2/c^2]

But even if you could see it as it went by that fast, it wouldn't make you any richer because someone whooshing along with the diamond wouldn't see any change in its mass at all.

Answer 3

EINESTEIN'S FORMULAE

E= m*c^2

E= energy

m= mass

c= speed of light

the diamond will turn into light energy...it will be seen as light...

in fact, any mass that goes at the speed of light will turn into light energy....