[jaramba]

I was studying the the two relativity theories of Einstein and I gathered that the speed of light cannot be surpassed. It is constant in all frames of reference. For Newton the speed was instantaneous?!
My problem is how to analyse Force in terms of speed. For example assume there is a rope long enough to reach the Sun, and someone standing on earth tries to apply force by pulling an object tied on the rope on the Sun surface; will the object move instantaneously the rope is pulled? Or it will take about 8 minutes (time light strikes earth from Sun) for the object to move?

[YB*]

Unless you have a rubberband, if its attached to the rope and the rope is taut, non elastic, also assuming no energies lost it should be intantaneous. Example would sound better if you used a long metal rod, soldered to an object on the sun.

Remember light speed means "the speed of light" - meaning what you see when you see it and from where you see it!! It has no bearing on actual physicalities.

If 2 explosions go of at 8:40:00 am instantaneously on earth and on the sun, (and you are on earth), suns explosion will register on your eyes at 8:40:08 am (8 seconds later), that does not mean the explosion happened at 8:00:48 am, the same will hold true if you are on the sun observing earth.

[jaramba]

Originally Posted by YB*

Unless you have a rubberband, if its attached to the rope and the rope is taut, non elastic, also assuming no energies lost it should be intantaneous. Example would sound better if you used a long metal rod, soldered to an object on the sun.

Remember light speed means "the speed of light" - meaning what you see when you see it and from where you see it!! It has no bearing on actual physicalities.

If 2 explosions go of at 8:40:00 am instantaneously on earth and on the sun, (and you are on earth), suns explosion will register on your eyes at 8:40:08 am (8 seconds later), that does not mean the explosion happened at 8:00:48 am, the same will hold true if you are on the sun observing earth.

I posed these questions after trying to understand what could happen if the Sun disappeared instantaneoulsy from space. Will Earth veer off at a tangent to the orbit path instantaneuosly or the Sun absence will register on earth after some finite time?

[grip_daddy]

Originally Posted by jaramba

I posed these questions after trying to understand what could happen if the Sun disappeared instantaneoulsy from space. Will Earth veer off at a tangent to the orbit path instantaneuosly or the Sun absence will register on earth after some finite time?

Does force travel?

[Ester]

Originally Posted by grip_daddy

Does force travel?

According to Newton's second law of motion, F=ma. Since velocity radically shifts when relavistic effects are considered, the resulting force is also a little more complicated.

If the force is along more than one dimension, that complicates the issue even further because in addition to the force not being proportional to acceleration, it could also be point in a different direction.

[grip_daddy]

Originally Posted by Ester

According to Newton's second law of motion, F=ma. Since velocity radically shifts when relavistic effects are considered, the resulting force is also a little more complicated.

If the force is along more than one dimension, that complicates the issue even further because in addition to the force not being proportional to acceleration, it could also be point in a different direction.

Is time involved in the complications?

[YB*]

Originally Posted by jaramba

I posed these questions after trying to understand what could happen if the Sun disappeared instantaneoulsy from space. Will Earth veer off at a tangent to the orbit path instantaneuosly or the Sun absence will register on earth after some finite time?

Thats an interesting question and needs some thought, if i think of a guy swinging a 'hammer' - the olympic one, heavy metallic ball at the end of a leash, when let go does it immediately leave its path??

Personally I think there is some time even if micro - seconds that will elapse before earth 'tangents' off, because of the 'influence' of the force, all we need to prove is that there exist some 'speed of magnetic attraction' which i know by physical evidence exists (Using small objects), but what would be the issues on a grand scale? am almost certain it would not be as fast as the speed of light!!!

P.S. Also to be considered would be other circumstances like attraction from other planetary/interplanetary bodies. my post is premised on an earth to sun relationship only

[grip_daddy]

YB*,

All electromagnetic properties that travel, travel at the speed of light in a vacuum.

[Ester]

Originally Posted by grip_daddy

Is time involved in the complications?

If you use Lorentzian transformations which are slightly more complicated than Galileo's transformations, then yes, time also intervenes.

[YB*]

Originally Posted by grip_daddy

YB*,

All electromagnetic properties that travel, travel at the speed of light in a vacuum.

I respectfully disagree Grip, some laser beams travel 3 times the speed of C. in short distances - thats just a fact, no debate necessary am no scientist