Unbreakable pole moved in an infinite vacuum

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Let's say I have an unbreakable pole. Let's also say I'm in an infinite vacuum. This pole is 240,000,000 meters in length. You are at the other end of the pole. I move the pole to the right 1 meter over the course of 0.9 seconds. Does the other end of the pole move immediately? If so, does it really move immediately or do you just perceive that it moved immediately?.
 
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Welcome to PhysicsForums, Gargoyle. This is a common question at PF. The quick answer is, the speed limit for any signal through a medium is the speed of sound for the medium used. There's a brief FAQ in the GR area that explains much better.

www.physicsforums.com/showthread.php?t=536289
 
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