How fast do impulses travel through a Newton's Cradle?

Click For Summary
SUMMARY

The discussion centers on the speed of impulse transmission in a Newton's Cradle. It establishes that while electrons move slowly at approximately 1 mm/s, the impulse generated by a moving ball in the cradle travels at the speed of sound through the medium of the balls. This conclusion is drawn from the observation that the balls collectively transmit the impact energy much faster than the time it would take for an electron to respond to an electric current. Therefore, the speed of impulse in this context is confirmed to be equivalent to the speed of sound.

PREREQUISITES
  • Understanding of Newton's Cradle mechanics
  • Basic knowledge of wave propagation in solids
  • Familiarity with the concept of impulse and momentum
  • Knowledge of the speed of sound in various materials
NEXT STEPS
  • Research the speed of sound in different materials, particularly solids
  • Explore the principles of impulse and momentum in physics
  • Study the mechanics of Newton's Cradle in detail
  • Investigate the relationship between electric current and electron movement
USEFUL FOR

Physics students, educators, and anyone interested in the mechanics of energy transfer in systems like Newton's Cradle will benefit from this discussion.

phlegmy
Messages
120
Reaction score
0
hey dudes

i read in a book that when an electric current flow that the electrons move preety slow [maybe 1mm/s I'm not sure]
now i also know electricity travels at the speed of light (ideally) so that an electron c*1s away will take 1s to start moving after i close the circuit

so i was thinking about a Newtons cradle
if the moving ball hits the next ball at say .05m/s and all the balls add up to .05m then obviously it won't take a full second for the last ball to move, so how fast does the "impulse"? move through the stationary balls . I've a feeling its the speed of sound (in the medium of the balls) is that right?
 
Physics news on Phys.org

Similar threads

Undergrad How Fast Does an Electrical Impulse Travel in a Copper Wire?
  • · Replies 100 ·
4
Replies
100
Views
12K
Undergrad Understanding dissipation of energy in a resistor through the Drude model
  • · Replies 1 ·
Replies
1
Views
3K
Undergrad A question about the speed of light and electromagnetism
  • · Replies 51 ·
2
Replies
51
Views
5K
Undergrad Speed of light after exiting a transparent medium
  • · Replies 17 ·
Replies
17
Views
2K
Distance to traveled to reach 0m/s not matter in impulse?
  • · Replies 3 ·
Replies
3
Views
2K
Signal Speed: How Can Signals Travel So Fast?
  • · Replies 2 ·
Replies
2
Views
1K
What factors determine wattage of electrons flowing through a wire?
  • · Replies 8 ·
Replies
8
Views
2K
High School A Scenic Trip as a Spaceship at 0.999...c, and questions that arise
  • · Replies 36 ·
2
Replies
36
Views
4K
How do we know how long the force is acting on an object?
  • · Replies 4 ·
Replies
4
Views
2K
Undergrad How Do Rockets Traveling at High Speeds Observe Each Other's Velocity?
  • · Replies 6 ·
Replies
6
Views
2K