Alright, this was just a random question that popped into my head. Let's say you have a long, LONG pole, that stretches from Earth to Neptune. Let's also say that the pole is made out of diamond, and so is one big macromolecular structure, incompressible.
Say I have a Neptunian friend who wants to know whenever Man U scores a goal in the UEFA Champions League 2050, played on Earth. But it would take minutes before the information was transmitted to him via TV/radio, because information can only travel at the speed of light. So we rig this special long pole and connect it from my house to his house, across the solar system. We agree that we would both hold each end, and when Man U scored, I would push the pole, using it to give him a nudge, so he'd know.
I watch the match, and when Man U scores, I push the pole. Now, doesn't he feel the nudge immediately? What's the flaw with this reasoning that contradicts the special theory of relativity?
2007-04-20 08:48:02 · 3 answers · asked by Benjamin L 2 in Science & Mathematics ➔ Physics
Your fallacy is in the assumption that diamond is incompressible. The nudge would not be transmitted instantaneously because the molecular motion from your end would have to be transferred from atom to atom throughout the length of the pole until it reached the other end.
2007-04-20 09:16:58 · answer #1 · answered by dogsafire 7 · 0⤊ 0⤋
When you nudge the end of the pole the maximum speed with which the effect of this can travel in the pole is the speed of sound in the medium it is made of. Basically, when you push the pole you effectively compress it.
2007-04-20 09:05:04 · answer #2 · answered by Anonymous · 2⤊ 0⤋
I don't block anyone. What fun would that be? As long as they get on the pole I don't care about their spelling. Know what I mean Babby?
2016-05-19 22:47:54 · answer #3 · answered by ? 3 · 0⤊ 0⤋