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Lightning Energy increases weight


Obba

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Something that has been on my mind for a while, ok.

 

As far as I know, energy is matter. A photon ‘weighs’ something. A Neutrino (They said in the old days – 20 years ago etc, weighed nothing), aka, Neutral.

Now we know the Neutrino does ‘weigh’ something.

 

So if it has mass it has energy, right?

 

If all energy weighs 'has mass’, something. Where does the energy of lightning strikes goto?

 

It goes to ‘ground’, as all our artificially generated electromagnetically energy goes to ground, (AC – Neutral ‘Return’/Earth) – (DC – Negative Ground/Earth).

 

Besides, sending satellites into outer space, what does the planet earth lose in weight, or does it gain, due to the sun ‘pouring’ energy into it?

 

Heat is a (Energy), loss as it ‘escapes’ into the outer space….. or is that the answer…!

[No need for greenhouse topics here as that is a by-product of ‘our’ conversion from the energy that the Earth has in its stores]

 

But all in all, Lightning is something that the Earth is generating by magnetic fields – its own internal (upper and lower), negative and positive charges. Thus coupled with its own orbit around the sun (With supposedly Iron Core), getting more ‘energy’ from the sun.

 

 

So, is this magnetic – Pos to Neg – field created (in the end), by the sun? and therefore we are getting something for free? And therefore, is the energy we get for free, adding to our weight?

 

The Sun is our primary source of energy. Granted, it gets less dense as it expels its energy, but what is the Earth doing with its lightning ‘energy’?

 

So, is this energy ‘weight’ adding mass to the Earth?

 

I accept that the planet Earth does lose mass with heat etc, so does all this mean an equilibrium and the Earth is basically one weight (give or take satellites)?

 

Isn’t Einstein’s E=mc2 saying that Energy is Mass?

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As far as I know, energy is matter.

...

 

Isn’t Einstein’s E=mc2 saying that Energy is Mass?

 

Energy is not matter.

 

E=mc^2 is true if an object has no momentum; mass is a form of energy. The actual equation is E^2 = p^2c^2 + m^2c^4

The mass in this equation is the rest mass, and that's the "default" definition for mass unless you define a different use.

 

The energy we get from the sun is mostly rerediated back into space — all objects emit thermal radiation. (the idealized case of this is a blackbody). But if you add energy to an object, e.g. heat up a cup of coffee, its measured mass will increase an extremely small amount (we wouldn't be measuring the rest mass in this case)

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E=mc^2 says that energy and matter are different forms of the same thing. Ice and water are different forms of the same thing, but that does not mean ice is water. And yes, like water E=mc^2 does mean you can convert mass into energy, this is what a nuclear bomb does.

 

Note that the 'm' in that equation is an object's "rest mass". That is the mass when the object is stationary. A photon is never stationary, therefore it is said to have zero rest mass. Then you say E=mc^2, m=0 therefore E=0. And that is where the longer equation, which Swansont mentioned comes into play.

 

E^2 = p^2c^2 + m^2c^4 where p is momentum. Again this is a weird atomic/quantum momentum and not the classical 'mv' thing. For a photon m=0 but p is a number, and thus it does have energy.

 

In lightning the energy comes from the fact that the fast moving electrons can release, or cause atoms it passes by to release, photons.

 

Again as Swansont said, a lot of energy from the Earth is radiated back out in to space, mainly in the form of infrared radiation. If more energy comes in then goes out then the Earth heats up, this is known as a "greenhouse effect".

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I know this isn't very on-topic, but starting a whole thread for this seems stupid, so I'll pop it here as you are talking about mass and rest mass.

 

Mass is defined as the inertia of an object. Does that mean a photon has inertia?

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A photon ‘weighs’ something.
A photon does not have a rest mass. If photon had a rest mass, the energy needed to make it reach the speed it does now © is infinite.
A Neutrino (They said in the old days – 20 years ago etc' date=' weighed nothing), aka, Neutral.

Now we know the Neutrino does ‘weigh’ something.

 

So if it has mass it has energy, right?[/quote']

Yes, scientists used to think it did not have mass but due to changes a neutrino suffer (tau neutrinos, muon neutrinos), this tells us that neutrino "senses" time, and hence has mass!

 

Everything that has mass, has energy! Energy is stored in the forced between the atoms!

 

If all energy weighs 'has mass’, something. Where does the energy of lightning strikes goto?
Haven't you ever seen a tree, or something struck by lightning? The look you get is the same as it had suffered an explosion. And explosion is nothing but the sudden release of energy.

 

Isn’t Einstein’s E=mc2 saying that Energy is Mass?

No, it tells the enormous amount of energy stored in mass!

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