Strictly speaking: Matter AND energy are conserved - it is the Law of Conservation of Mass AND Energy. Matter can be converted into energy (e.g. in a nuclear reactor) and energy can be converted into matter (e.g. by relativistic motion). Einstein's famous E=mc2 (which is actually a special case form of his actual, more complex, equation) links matter and energy together.
Increasing the speed of an object requires energy to increase the kinetic energy (motion) of the object but some of that energy is converted into matter which increases the mass of the object. At the speeds that we are familiar with (cars, aircraft, interplanetary space probes) that increase in mass is undetectable or at least negligible. At higher speeds, approaching the speed of light, the mass increase becomes noticeable. The increased mass means that more energy is needed to increase the speed of the object. At a point just below the speed of light the energy required to push the speed higher becomes infinite so the speed of light is the speed limit for all matter in this universe. Apologies to all Star Trek and Star Wars fans but "space warps" and "hyperspace tunnels" which will allow faster than light travel may exist but would require impossible amounts of energy to open and maintain.
Apologies to all but my undergraduate majors were in Physics and the History and Philosophy of Science.
Increasing the speed of an object requires energy to increase the kinetic energy (motion) of the object but some of that energy is converted into matter which increases the mass of the object. At the speeds that we are familiar with (cars, aircraft, interplanetary space probes) that increase in mass is undetectable or at least negligible. At higher speeds, approaching the speed of light, the mass increase becomes noticeable. The increased mass means that more energy is needed to increase the speed of the object. At a point just below the speed of light the energy required to push the speed higher becomes infinite so the speed of light is the speed limit for all matter in this universe. Apologies to all Star Trek and Star Wars fans but "space warps" and "hyperspace tunnels" which will allow faster than light travel may exist but would require impossible amounts of energy to open and maintain.
Apologies to all but my undergraduate majors were in Physics and the History and Philosophy of Science.