2006-10-24 09:26:38 · 26 answers · asked by nimit_engineer 1 in Science & Mathematics ➔ Physics
Depends on what the stick is made of. Any material we know of, except for neutronium, would have enough compressibility that the push would be absorbed long before it ever got close to the sun.
IF the material was incompressible, since no part of the stick would have to move more than the distance you push it (and not taking into consideration that the sun would suck the stick in at great speed with its tremendous gravity), the push may well arrive at the same time as applied, just as space itself can expand faster than the speed of light (which you are referring to).
Since such material does not exist, we'll never get a chance to test the theory! ;-)
2006-10-24 09:28:51 · answer #1 · answered by Anonymous · 1⤊ 1⤋
This is one of those great thought experiments. The answer is no, because you are not moving an object per se, but rather a point. Since the stick is already that long the work was done ahead of time. Now all you have is "points", Push the point on earth, the connected point moves instantly.
For the other end to take time to react you would need a plyable substance, one that a wave could move through. Since you have described this as a stick I will presume the stick is rigid. While I would assume compression of some sort were possible, this is not what you asked about. Therefore, again, there is no time lag between pushing one end and the other moving instantly.
2006-10-24 09:34:30 · answer #2 · answered by jbgot2bfree 3 · 1⤊ 1⤋
Information can travel at any speed UP TO the speed of light, but it can also travel slower.
If you pushed on one end of a solid object and immediately the other end moved, this would violate relativity, so it must take some time for the "push" to reach the far end.
The speed that such a physical disturbance moves is just the speed of sound. Imagine you "push" your end by hitting it with a hammer. An ear at the far end (a very sensative device got detecting such motion) will notice nothing before the time required for the compression wave to travel to the end of the object.
Since sound travels roughly 1/1,000,000th the speed of light, it would take roughly 8 million minutes for a physical disturbance to travel, rather than 8 minutes for light to travel.
(Of course, all the comments about how impossible it would be to actually make a stick that long or to get an actual "push" to travel the entire length still apply).
2006-10-24 14:36:22 · answer #3 · answered by Tim F 2 · 1⤊ 0⤋
Neptune is right. If it is already there, you don't need to push it. This question has been asked many times, and whomever asks it thinks they're smart for asking it. In fact that is a stupid question. The reason is, when light travels from the sun to the earth, it is not in the form of a stick where one end of it is already at Earth. Say one photon of light leaves the sun at a certain time, then 8 minutes later that photon reaches the Earth. What your question implies is that when a light photon leaves the sun, it miraculously has a length of 1 AU where instantaneously one end of it reaches Earth, then the other end starts moving at the speed of light. It is a stupid question that makes no sense.
2006-10-24 09:36:59 · answer #4 · answered by Anonymous · 1⤊ 2⤋
No. Light takes 8 minutes to reach earth but a stick that long (should you be able hold such a device steady without dropping) would instantly be felt.
2006-10-24 09:30:08 · answer #5 · answered by Matt 2 · 0⤊ 1⤋
Relativity tells us that no physical force can propagate faster than the speed of light, so the fastest your push can reach the other end is a little more that 8 minutes.
2006-10-24 09:51:04 · answer #6 · answered by Geoffrey S 3 · 1⤊ 0⤋
No, if the stick is solid and does not break, theoretically you would feel it immediately. Think about poking a nearby object with a solid stick. The entire stick moves at once and stops moving as soon as it strikes the object. Light and sound are different because they travel in wave form.
2006-10-24 09:30:03 · answer #7 · answered by copeland0077 2 · 0⤊ 2⤋
No, because it is an extension, you won't feel it. As soon as you touch the sun, it will burn and you will keep pushing without feedback. However, it will take about 8 1/2 minutes for the burning splinter to fall to earth and burn your eye.
That is where baked apples come from... Newton didn't have a long enough stick.
2006-10-24 09:30:50 · answer #8 · answered by ABC 4 · 0⤊ 4⤋
Yes, that's correct. Actually, it probably takes longer than that. The force will travel through the stick at whatever speed sound travels through the material that the stick is made of. This is certainly much less than the speed of light.
2006-10-24 09:29:31 · answer #9 · answered by foofoo19472 3 · 1⤊ 2⤋
No. By your own definition, the end of the stick is already there. It doesn't have to travel any further, so it would be "felt" if you pushed on it.
2006-10-24 09:29:10 · answer #10 · answered by Anonymous · 0⤊ 1⤋