Can a Hypothetical Perfectly Rigid Body Transmit Forces Faster than Light?

AI Thread Summary
A hypothetical perfectly rigid body cannot transmit forces faster than light, even if it were made of a zero-stretch material. The discussion centers on a scenario where a wire, two light seconds long, is pulled on one end. The consensus is that any effect would still take at least two seconds to be felt at the other end due to the limitations of electromagnetic forces. The wire's composition, primarily empty space and molecular bonds, reinforces this conclusion. Therefore, faster-than-light transmission of force is not feasible.
etriad
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Sorry in advance if this is a ridiculous question, but I've always wondered about this.

Let's say we could create a wire in space away from any gravitational affects. Make the wire 2 light seconds long, for example. If we pulled on one end, when would the effects be felt on the other end? I'm assuming that we could create a zero-stretch material (maybe a very bad assumption).
 
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hi etriad! welcome to pf! :smile:
etriad said:
Sorry in advance if this is a ridiculous question, but I've always wondered about this.

Let's say we could create a wire in space away from any gravitational affects. Make the wire 2 light seconds long, for example. If we pulled on one end, when would the effects be felt on the other end? I'm assuming that we could create a zero-stretch material (maybe a very bad assumption).

at least 2 seconds later …

the wire is mostly empty space: the molecules in it are bound together only by electromagnetism, and electromagnetic effects can't travel faster than light :wink:
 
Thanks for the link.
 
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