What Happens to a Pole Spinning Near Light Speed?

[AbyssalVortex]

Ok. I got this today from looking at a crane spinning around.

What if you had an extremely long pole, huge order of magnitude, and you spin it. As you go outward, the velocity of the particles of the pole increase. As this velocity nears c, what happens to the pole as you keep going further away from the origin of rotation?

 

[phinds]

Doesn't work. There is no such thing as a pole that is as rigid as you are thinking of. This question in one form or another is asked here every few months. Do a forum search for "rigid body"

 

[Nugatory]

What Phinds said. Also, there's an entry in the FAQ at the top of this forum: https://www.physicsforums.com/showthread.php?t=536289

 

[Dale]

As this velocity nears c, what happens to the pole as you keep going further away from the origin of rotation?

It breaks.

 

[AbyssalVortex]

Ha, wow, can you say oblivious. Thanks phinds and Nugatory.