Long Bar and the Speed of Light

In summary, the question posed is whether or not a force applied to one end of a long bar in a vacuum would immediately affect the other end, and if reference frames would play a role in this scenario. The answer is that the other end will not respond immediately, but rather a mechanical wave will propagate at the speed of sound. If the force applied is faster than the speed of sound, the bar will break and a wave will propagate at the speed of sound. There are existing discussions and resources available for further exploration on this topic.
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I was asked this today, and I cannot picture an answer. Say you had a long bar in a vacuum, billions of miles long. If a force was applied lengthwise on one end, would the other end immediately respond? Would reference frames matter in this instance? I know information cannot travel faster than the speed of light, and I have a basic understanding of special relatively, but i cannot picture what would happen in this case...
 
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There are lots of threads about this. Perhaps someone who participated in one of them can post a link.

The other end will not respond immediately. You will just create a mechanical wave that propagates at the speed of sound. (A longitudinal mechanical wave is, by definition, sound). If you hit it with a hammer that's moving faster than the speed of sound in that material, then you'll just break it and create a wave the propagates at the speed of sound.
 

1. What is the Long Bar experiment and how does it relate to the speed of light?

The Long Bar experiment is a thought experiment proposed by the famous physicist Albert Einstein in 1905. It involves a long bar moving at a constant velocity near the speed of light. The experiment is used to illustrate the concepts of time dilation and length contraction, which are fundamental principles of Einstein's theory of relativity.

2. How is the speed of light measured?

The speed of light is measured by using various methods, including the use of lasers and interferometry. One of the most accurate ways to measure the speed of light is by using the time-of-flight method, which involves timing how long it takes for a pulse of light to travel a known distance.

3. Why is the speed of light considered to be a universal constant?

The speed of light is considered to be a universal constant because it is the same for all observers, regardless of their relative motion. This is a key principle of Einstein's theory of relativity and has been confirmed by numerous experiments and observations.

4. Can anything travel faster than the speed of light?

According to Einstein's theory of relativity, nothing can travel faster than the speed of light. This is because as an object approaches the speed of light, its mass increases and requires an infinite amount of energy to accelerate further. Therefore, it is considered impossible for anything to travel faster than the speed of light.

5. How does the speed of light affect our perception of time and space?

According to Einstein's theory of relativity, time and space are not absolute but are relative to the observer's state of motion. As an object moves closer to the speed of light, time slows down and distances appear to contract. This means that our perception of time and space can be altered by our relative motion and the speed of light plays a crucial role in these effects.

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