-3 upvotes, 2 direct replies (showing 2)
View submission: Ask Anything Wednesday - Engineering, Mathematics, Computer Science
So there are two problems here
First LEDs are diodes, so they only let current pass on way. You could still do something similar with a circuit in parallel though.
The bigger issue is that electricity moves really fast. Pretty close to light speed. So to create a "wave" would be nearly impossible. As soon as you increase the voltage on one end it would increase the voltage in the whole circuit near instantly.
Instead what you'd get is the entire kilometer of LEDs blinking at once when the frequencies line up.
Comment by mfb- at 26/06/2024 at 17:42 UTC
8 upvotes, 0 direct replies
The bigger issue is that electricity moves really fast. Pretty close to light speed. So to create a "wave" would be nearly impossible.
We routinely do so. You can buy pulse generators that will send you a 1 ns long pulse (~20 cm) through cables without any issues.
Comment by FVjake at 26/06/2024 at 16:24 UTC
1 upvotes, 1 direct replies
Oops, that’s what I meant, wired in parallel. Also, you can absolutely have a wave traveling down a wire.