Donut approaching the speed of light

AI Thread Summary
As objects approach the speed of light, their mass increases while their volume decreases, leading to significant length contraction in the direction of travel. A spinning donut, similar to a spinning disk, would experience this contraction, with each section of the donut moving at different tangential speeds. The contraction is nonlinear, which means the donut cannot remain flat due to the varying speeds of its parts. This phenomenon is related to non-Euclidean geometry in special relativity and requires general relativity for a complete understanding. The implications of a spinning donut at relativistic speeds highlight complex interactions between speed, mass, and geometry.
Namloh2000
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donut approaching the speed of light!

okay so as bodies approach the speed of light their mass gets bigger and bigger, approaching infinity - and their volume gets smaller and smaller, approaching nothing - a things length will get shorter and shorter as it approaches 186,000 miles per second - in the direction that the object is traveling.

OK - so let's say i had a donut that was spinning very fast, approaching the speed of light... what would happen knowing that things squish in the direction they are traveling as they approach the speed of light?
 
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I replied to this on PM, but I'll repeat it here. The classic problem that is similar to your donut is the spinning disk. Each circular section of the disk is moving at its own tangential speed relative to the unmoving center, and yes, they do contract according to the formula. The formula is nonlinear so the contraction can't keep the disk flat, but there is no vertical force on it to bend it. This is taken as an appearance of noneuclidean geometry in SR. The full discussion of the spinning disck requires GR. I presume the same applies to your spinning donut.
 

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