How fast do impulses travel through a Newton's Cradle?

AI Thread Summary
Impulses in a Newton's Cradle travel at the speed of sound through the medium of the balls, not at the speed of the electrons. While electrons move slowly, the mechanical impulse created by a moving ball propagates quickly through the stationary balls. The discussion highlights that when one ball strikes another, the resulting motion is transmitted almost instantaneously compared to the slow movement of electrons in an electric circuit. This phenomenon is due to the efficient transfer of kinetic energy and momentum through solid materials. Therefore, the speed of impulse in a Newton's Cradle is effectively the speed of sound in the balls.
phlegmy
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hey dudes

i read in a book that when an electric current flow that the electrons move preety slow [maybe 1mm/s I'm not sure]
now i also know electricity travels at the speed of light (ideally) so that an electron c*1s away will take 1s to start moving after i close the circuit

so i was thinking about a Newtons cradle
if the moving ball hits the next ball at say .05m/s and all the balls add up to .05m then obviously it won't take a full second for the last ball to move, so how fast does the "impulse"? move through the stationary balls . I've a feeling its the speed of sound (in the medium of the balls) is that right?
 
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