Speed of light exceeded

[nameta9]

Take 2 squares (sheets of paper) and slide them over each other at right angles. the intersection is a still point. But if you tilt 1 square (sheet of paper) and slide them over, the intersection is a moving point. If you tilt it to a very narrow angle the intersection will exceed the speed of light. Is this a known result ?

[CPL.Luke]

no it won't exceed the speed of light.

[Cap'n Refsmmat]

A point doesn't have any mass anyways, so it really doesn't matter if it goes faster than the speed of light.

 

I believe there was a discussion on a similar idea, in which a point of laser light would exceed the speed of light.

[Severian]

It will exceed the speed of light. This is a known result. More commonly this is described as a spotlight being swept over low clouds - the beam will 'move' over the clouds faster than the speed of light when the nagle approaches zero.

 

However, there is no information flow so this does not violate Special Relativity.

[Teotihuacan]

It would still take whatever the speed of light for the spotlight to reach the clouds, before being reflected back, to seemingly a simultaneous illumination of the far clouds from the observers' effect.

 

Is this much different than Davinci's insistance that the speed of light was infinite... and yet is calculated at approx. 300,000 km/sec.

 

But, perhaps, it's not really a constant. Just a convenient mile post at the time.

[JohnB]

Is this like the extremely long pairs of scissors thing?

 

BTW, what's a "nagle"?

[J.C.MacSwell]

Is this like the extremely long pairs of scissors thing?

 

BTW' date=' what's a "nagle"? [/quote']

 

Torrel rotation.

 

When an angle approaches the speed of light, it becomes a "nagle". As it exceeds the speed of light it's an "elgna".

 

I thought everyone knew that!

[tomgwyther]

In the long scissors/two pieces of paper idea; Nothing is actually moving.

No mass is being accelerated.

No object is going from point A to point B.

 

Moreover; If you put an object at the closing point of the scissors (I.E as if you were trying to cut it in half. but actually push it forward.) You would not be able to accelerate the object beyond the speed of light because you would need an infinate amount of energy to close the scissors.