Does antimatter (negative matter) have negative mass ?

Theoretically, anything can have negative mass, but it has been proven that all known particles have non-negative mass.In summary, antimatter is known to have opposite charge but not negative mass. Theoretically, something could have negative mass, but all known particles have non-negative mass. Negative matter is only hypothesized to exist, and if it did, it would have negative mass and reversed charges. However, its existence has not been proven.
  • #1
easyconcepts
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Does antimatter (negative matter) have "negative mass"?

If not, why is this so suspected? And could anything theoretically have negative mass?
 
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  • #2


Welcome to PF, easyconcepts! :smile:

Antimatter has opposite charge, not negative mass.
Indeed mass is guaranteed to be non-negative.
And the only particle to have "rest-mass" zero is the photon.
 
  • #3


Theoretically for something to have negative rest mass must mean it has negative rest energy.

E0=M0*v^2

Therefore when rest mass of M0 < 0, any value for velocity v squared is greater than or equal to 0, since √ -1 = i where i ≠ ℝ.


Anyway, negative mass means in my mind that the mass dimension is negative, thus when affected by gravity (if it would be), since F = ma and F = mg when free-falling under gravity, it would have negative acceleration (deceleration) or negative force (or positive relative to direction). Gravity would seemingly repel rather than absorb the object to the centre of the object.
 
  • #4


Antimatter has a positive mass, but reversed charges. Negative matter has a negative mass, but the same charges. Antimatter is known to exist, but negative matter is only hypothesized to exist.
 

1. What is antimatter and how does it differ from regular matter?

Antimatter is a type of matter that has the same properties as regular matter, such as mass and energy, but with the opposite charge. For example, an antiproton has the same mass as a proton, but with a negative charge instead of a positive charge. This is what makes it "anti" matter.

2. Does antimatter have negative mass?

There is currently no evidence or theoretical basis to suggest that antimatter has negative mass. In fact, the concept of negative mass is still largely speculative and has not been observed in any form of matter, including antimatter.

3. Can negative mass exist in the universe?

While negative mass remains a topic of scientific debate, there is currently no known way for negative mass to exist in our universe. This is because the laws of physics, specifically the laws of gravity, do not allow for the existence of negative mass.

4. What would happen if antimatter had negative mass?

If antimatter did have negative mass, it would likely behave in unpredictable and chaotic ways. For example, it could potentially repel regular matter instead of being attracted to it by gravity. However, since this is purely speculative, it is impossible to accurately predict the exact consequences of negative mass.

5. Are there any experiments or studies being done to investigate the concept of negative mass?

While there have been some theoretical studies and thought experiments exploring the concept of negative mass, there are currently no experiments being conducted to directly observe or create negative mass. This is due to the lack of evidence and understanding of how negative mass would behave in our universe.

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