Does mass of earth continuously increasing?

Discussion in 'Physics & Math' started by plakhapate, Jun 25, 2007.

  1. plakhapate Banned Banned

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    Is it true that on the sun , mass is converted into energy

    This energy is received by earth.

    On earth this energy is converted into mass.

    If this is so, then mass of earth must be continuously increasing.

    Share your comments.

    P.J.LAKHAPATE
    plakhapate@rediffmail.com
     
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  3. Read-Only Valued Senior Member

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    Not correct. It requires relativistic speeds in order to convert energy into mass.

    However, the mass of the Earth does increase slightly all the time because of the cosmic debris (dust, meteorites) than continually 'rain' down from space.
     
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  5. It also decreases, due to external atmospheric conditions, such as hurricanes stirring material until it presses outside the atmosphere. Most observable phenomenon is the Aurora Borealis. Where the particles upwards cast an eerie glow. quite beautiful.
     
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  7. Orleander OH JOY!!!! Valued Senior Member

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    ?? I thought the Borealis was a solar wind hitting our atmosphere??
     
  8. zanket Human Valued Senior Member

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    Mass is equivalent to energy, according to Einstein. A charged battery weighs more than a drained battery.
     
  9. Janus58 Valued Senior Member

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    Ignoring for the moment the issue of whether absorbed energy increases the Earth's mass, The Earth re-radiates the energy it receives from the Sun back into space, so it is not constantly gaining mass or energy.
     
  10. oreodont I am God Registered Senior Member

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    The earth also produces its own radiation. Most of the heat produced by the Earth is radioactive....conversion of matter into energy. If the Earth wasn't a net loser of energy, it would overheat. The Earth converts matter to energy....uranium, etc; are not stable elements.
     
  11. Read-Only Valued Senior Member

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    That first statement is correct BUT the conversion of energy to matter ONLY happens at relativistic speeds!

    That second statement is sheer nonsense. :bugeye:
     
  12. zanket Human Valued Senior Member

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    Everything that relativity predicts related to velocity occurs at any velocity > 0. That includes time dilation, length contraction, and relativistic mass.

    Nope, not according to Einstein. And you implicitly agreed to it by agreeing to the first statement.
     
  13. Read-Only Valued Senior Member

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    Then show us a case of adding energy to a stationary object and increasing it's mass as a result.

    No, the second statement is still nonsense. Reversing the chemical reaction inside a battery adds NO mass at all. Again, show me a case that proves it actually adds mass - just a single one.
     
  14. Read-Only Valued Senior Member

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    10,296
    So far, all I've seen in this thread about the actual mass of the Earth increasing/decreasing has been speculation, wild guesses (and some pure nonsense).

    A rather quick Google search turned up several references - all stating, as I did originally - that it's increasing due to space dust. Here's just one link: http://www.space.com/scienceastronomy/101_earth_facts_030722-1.html

    Read item #6.
     
  15. zanket Human Valued Senior Member

    Messages:
    3,777
    You agreed that mass is equivalent to energy. Then when energy is added to a battery, the equivalent of mass is added. Therefore a battery must weigh more charged than drained. There's no experimental confirmation for this that I know of; the mass increase is too slight for current instruments to detect. But it is a prediction of relativity.

    Here's a thought experiment from the book Relativity Visualized: "Seal a nuclear reactor and a storage battery inside a box. Nothing can enter or leave the box. Now let the reactor put out a foot-pound of electric energy and let that foot-pound be put into the battery. As the reactor puts out energy it must lose mass. But no mass can escape the sealed box. So where could the mass be? Only in the charged battery. The mass goes with the foot-pound of energy."
     
  16. Read-Only Valued Senior Member

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    You are choking on a gnat and swallowing a camel. Charging/discharging a battery are both nothing more than ordinary chemical actions.

    Would you also claim that a properly balanced mix of hydrogen and oxygen, when burned results in the loss of mass? And that by electrolyzing the resultant water back into hydrogen and oxygen adds mass?
     
  17. zanket Human Valued Senior Member

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    3,777
    Given that you denied out of hand what I wrote instead of show a problem with it, I judge that you don't have an open mind. You'll have to learn from someone else.
     
  18. Read-Only Valued Senior Member

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    I see. I exposed the problem wit it and then posed a simple question which you seem to be unable to answer, therefore you chose to avoid it rather than deal with facts. It would seem that you have nothing worthwhile teaching anyway.
     
  19. Pete It's not rocket surgery Registered Senior Member

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    Hi Read-only,
    It's my understanding that chemical energy is also equivalent to mass.

    Burning hydrogen and oxygen releases energy (mass).
    Electrolysing water absorbs energy (mass).
     
  20. Read-Only Valued Senior Member

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    10,296
    Thank you, Pete.

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    Can you point me to something that substantiates that? To my limited understanding, the conversion from mass to energy only took place during nuclear reactions (fussion,fission,decay). But always willing to learn something new.
     
  21. zanket Human Valued Senior Member

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    3,777
    You did not.
     
  22. Pete It's not rocket surgery Registered Senior Member

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  23. Read-Only Valued Senior Member

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    I thought I did, but I was wrong. Thanks to Pete I've actually learned something new tonight.
     

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