If I have solid rod several light year long and I push one of the ends. How long will it take for the other end to be pushed?

Question

Will it take years for the “movement” to be felt from the other end?

In: 19

Answer 1

A mechanical impulse will travel through the material at the material’s speed of sound.

For steel this is about 5100m/s, so the end will move in 58,782 years.