Science Buddies: "Ask an Expert"

Dear all,

This has been going through my head for some time now and in really hope someone can help me. I know this type of question has been pondered before but, from what I've read, limitations seem to get discussed before getting to any serious answer.

My question is this. Forgetting limitations on materials/stresses/energy/size, what circumference would a spinning disk need to have in order to be travelling close to the speed of light, and how many RPMS would that equate to? I know this would depend on the speed of disk rotation at the centre. What equations can be aplied that help to calculate the relative velocity of the circumference of the disk acording to its radius and speed of rotation at the centre.

Thanks for your help with this.

Jonathan

Hi toastedhippo,

Is your question related to a science fair project? This forum is intended for students, parents, and teachers working on K-12 science projects. If you are looking for help with homework or general science discussions there are other sites that should be able to answer you question.

A. Norman