Is There a Limit to the Speed of Energy Transfer?

In summary, the speed of light is considered to be the limit for energy transfer, even in Quantum Field Theory. While there may be ways to use entangled quantum states to transfer information faster, it is unlikely that this can be applied to energy transfer. Additionally, the speed of light is a fundamental limit in Special and General Relativity, and any attempts to transfer energy faster would likely contradict these theories.
  • #1
darkar
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How fast can energy be transfered? Is there a limit to it? Is it the speed of light? Any prove?
 
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  • #2
darkar said:
How fast can energy be transfered? Is there a limit to it? Is it the speed of light? Any prove?

I don't believe that there is a way to transfer energy faster than the speed of light, even in Quantum Mechanics. The most sophisticated model of energy transfer I can think of is in Quantum Field Theory, where the energy transfer would have to take place via an interaction field, which is quantized as particles. The particles would be constrained to move at the speed of light, or less.

I suppose there may be a way to use "entangled" quantum states to transfer energy, as I don't know many details of it. I know that information can "travel" faster than the speed of light in this case, but information and energy are different beasts.

-Dan
 
  • #3
Infrared radiation (heat) from the sun is an electromagnetic radiation like visible light. That is as fast as you can get.

Zz.
 
  • #4
How can we limit the rate of energy transfer to the speed of light. I understand that that is the time taken to transfer a photon from somewhere. But how can we quantise the number of photons of energy transferred.
 
  • #5
vaishakh said:
How can we limit the rate of energy transfer to the speed of light. I understand that that is the time taken to transfer a photon from somewhere. But how can we quantise the number of photons of energy transferred.

Quantization and speed of travel are different things. The limit on the speed of travel comes from Special/General Relativity. In the Classical Physics of the 17 and 1800s, much of the energy transfer phenomena were attributed to wave motion or flows of some kind. In the Quantum Physics we usually consider the energy transfer to be due to some kind of field that permeates space. We can quantize these fields, that is we consider the smallest possible "packets" of energy (spin, angular momentum, etc.) that can transfer between one point and another. We admittedly force the issue of the speed of light as being the fastest possible transfer speed by taking Special and/or General Relativity to be one of our postulates when we construct a Quantum Field Theory, but we'd know if we were wrong to do so because then the theory wouldn't test right.

-Dan
 
  • #6
Okay, another question. Let say one particle A transfer energy to other particle B, which is close to each other. And now particle B transfer energy back to particle A, and this process keep being continue. Is there a limit on how fast the transfer rate is?
 

1. What is the fastest energy transfer rate?

The fastest energy transfer rate is the speed at which energy is transferred from one object to another. It is typically measured in joules per second, also known as watts.

2. What factors affect the speed of energy transfer?

The speed of energy transfer can be affected by various factors such as the type of energy being transferred, the medium through which it is being transferred, and the temperature and pressure of the system.

3. How is the speed of energy transfer calculated?

The speed of energy transfer can be calculated using the formula: Power (P) = Energy (E) / Time (t), or P = E/t. This formula takes into account the amount of energy being transferred and the time it takes for the transfer to occur.

4. What is the difference between energy transfer rate and energy efficiency?

Energy transfer rate refers to the speed at which energy is transferred, while energy efficiency is a measure of how much of the input energy is converted into usable output energy. A high energy transfer rate does not necessarily mean high energy efficiency.

5. How can we increase the fastest energy transfer rate?

To increase the fastest energy transfer rate, we can use materials with high thermal conductivity, minimize the distance between the energy source and the recipient, and optimize the temperature and pressure conditions in the system. Additionally, using efficient energy transfer mechanisms such as electromagnetic waves can also increase the transfer rate.

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