- #1
f todd baker
- 61
- 22
On my website (unnamed since I have been previously reprimanded for "promoting" the site!) I got a question, pretty straightforward, the essence of which is: Two long wires are not parallel and make an angle θ with each other; they cross at one point and one wire is moving with velocity v perpendicular to the first; the point where they cross moves with a velocity u.
It is easy to show that u=v/tanθ and u may be larger than c. But this point has no mass and carries no information so, no problem with special relativity (just like a sweeping laser spot moving across the moon with v>c). But then I got a followup question suggesting having an array of moving wires the spacing of which is coded information. What am I missing?
It is easy to show that u=v/tanθ and u may be larger than c. But this point has no mass and carries no information so, no problem with special relativity (just like a sweeping laser spot moving across the moon with v>c). But then I got a followup question suggesting having an array of moving wires the spacing of which is coded information. What am I missing?