Google Groups no longer supports new Usenet posts or subscriptions. Historical content remains viewable.
Dismiss

Relativistic Mass

33 views
Skip to first unread message

Y

unread,
Sep 28, 2012, 4:26:46 AM9/28/12
to

If light contains relativistic mass, as we burn fossil fuels to create
artificial lighting, the Earth loses rest mass into outer space via
light. Could this loss of mass be drawing us nearer or further to the
sun ?

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Ip2ZGND1I9Q

-y

Big Dog

unread,
Sep 28, 2012, 9:54:58 AM9/28/12
to
Here's an interesting exercise to calculate.
Which is more?
The light radiated from the earth by burning fossil fuels?
The light received by the earth from the sun?

As you can see, the answer here will have an impact on your other question.

Tom Roberts

unread,
Sep 28, 2012, 12:21:12 PM9/28/12
to
On 9/28/12 9/28/12 - 8:54 AM, Big Dog wrote:
> On 9/28/2012 3:26 AM, Y wrote:
>> If light contains relativistic mass, as we burn fossil fuels to create
>> artificial lighting, the Earth loses rest mass into outer space via
>> light. Could this loss of mass be drawing us nearer or further to the
>> sun ?
>> http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Ip2ZGND1I9Q
>
> Here's an interesting exercise to calculate.
> Which is more?
> The light radiated from the earth by burning fossil fuels?
> The light received by the earth from the sun?
> As you can see, the answer here will have an impact on your other question.

Don't forget the influx of micrometeorites. And big ones. There is also ablation
of the atmosphere, and simple escape of hydrogen and helium. Plus the occasional
space probe launch. I'll bet these affect earth's mass far more than either of
the above. These are just the effects that come immediately to mind; there
surely are others....

Also, a simple increase in the mass of the earth would only affect its orbit at
higher orders (e.g. via increased interactions with other planets or the
oblateness of the sun, or more pulling of the sun away from the barycenter of
the solar system). Variations in the mass of the sun are larger and MUCH more
important.

Note that all of the effects in my first paragraph transfer momentum to the
earth, which affects its orbit directly, and that can have a direct effect on
the mean orbital radius. Experimentally, their sum is VERY tiny.


Tom Roberts

paparios

unread,
Sep 28, 2012, 12:40:32 PM9/28/12
to
Also, there is the gravitational effect that the loss of mass of the Sun, through its fusion process and radiation, produce on the Earth orbit. It is predicted that when the Sun goes into its red giant phase, it will have lost so much mass as to produce the Earth to move to the current orbit of Mars and so, it will barely escape from its fate of being consumed in the Sun growing atmosphere.

Y

unread,
Sep 29, 2012, 3:41:38 AM9/29/12
to
Yeah you're right. So do you agree that the Earth grows from light ?
There's an interesting geological genesis theory in this. I'm not sure
I was ever taught such a thing at school.

-y

Big Dog

unread,
Oct 1, 2012, 9:39:33 AM10/1/12
to
Calculate the rate.
The age of the Earth is 4.3 billion years. Is this rate compatible with
a genesis theory?
It is really, really, really, really important to know how to do
back-of-the-envelope calculations to determine the sensibility of these
kinds of speculations. Anyone who wants to do physics has to learn how
to do this.

space...@gmail.com

unread,
Oct 1, 2012, 7:33:22 PM10/1/12
to
On Monday, October 1, 2012 6:39:29 AM UTC-7, Big Dog wrote:
> On 9/29/2012 2:41 AM, Y wrote:
>
> > On Sep 28, 11:54 pm, Big Dog <big.fing....@gmail.com> wrote:
>
> >> On 9/28/2012 3:26 AM, Y wrote:
>
There is no relative mass There is energy of absolute motion.

Mitchell Raemsch
0 new messages