How much mass does the sun add to the earth each day?

In summary, the amount of mass added to the Earth each day by the sun's energy of insolation and the equation e = mc^2 is very small. This is due to the Earth being in thermodynamic balance and the fact that e = mc^2 requires a specific event, such as a photon producing an electron and a positron. Additionally, the atmosphere does not actively "evaporate" due to the sun's radiation. The Earth's small receiving area in comparison to the total radiation from the sun is also a factor in the amount of mass added to the Earth.
  • #1
S = k log w
66
0
How much mass does the sun add to the Earth each day?
 
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  • #2
Evidently you mean via the energy of insolation and some assumed physics supporting e = mc^2?

Not much, for two reasons.
1) The Earth is in rough thermodynamic balance. The incoming energy from the sun is balanced by the outgoing energy of the Earth's infrared radiation.

2) e = mc^2 doesn't just happen. You have to have a specific event, such as a photon producing an electron and a positron. But in order to do that, the photon has to have enough energy to cover the masses of the two particles, 1022 electron volts. And the only photons with that kind of energy are up in the gamma ray range. Very few solar gamma rays (there are a few), make it down to the surface of the earth.
 
  • #3
Particles from the recent solar flare would have made it to Earth... but their mass would have been absolutely minute.
 
  • #4
I thought the solar wind was removing matter from Earth's atmosphere...
 
  • #5
2) e = mc^2 doesn't just happen.

It would contribute thermal energy, though. While the mass of any individual particle doesn't increase, the mass of the system does, doesn't it?
 
  • #6
Originally posted by FZ+
I thought the solar wind was removing matter from Earth's atmosphere...
Solar wind or not, our atmosphere does "evaporate," which is why it doesn't have much in the way of lighter elements - like hydrogen.
 
  • #7
Correction

Originally posted by selfAdjoint
2) You have to have a specific event, such as a photon producing an electron and a positron. But in order to do that, the photon has to have enough energy to cover the masses of the two particles, 1022 electron volts. And the only photons with that kind of energy are up in the gamma ray range. Very few solar gamma rays (there are a few), make it down to the surface of the earth.

Hi selfAdjoint,
I think you mean for "enough energy", 1.02 x 10^6 electron volts.
Also, in the context of this string, isn't the absorption of gamma rays by the stratospheric environmental gases manifest as the ionization of those gases that end up rising into the ionosphere? Any Earthbound high voltage (>1.02 MeV) accelerator is capable of producing copious "pair-production" events. Cheers, Jim
 
  • #8
According to my geology books, the atmosphere is not "evaporating." That is except for hydrogen. Helium is to big to escape the earth.
 
  • #9
Another factor to take into account when computing how much mass and radiation the Earth gets from the Sun is the extremely small solid angle we cover.

Sun's wind and radiation escapes in all directions; Earth's radius is roughly 1/100th of the Sun's, and is located at about 100 Sun diameters from it.

Edit:

Using Earth's orbit as unit of length (say, u), Sun's radiation is distributed on a spherical surface with an area 4[pi] u2, while Earth "catches" only an area of [pi]r2, with r ~ (10-4u)/2:

Earth's receiving area = [pi](0.5*10-4u)2
= [pi]0.25*10-8u2

So, our fraction of the total is:

f = (Earth's area)/(Area of the sphere)
~ 0.25*10-8/4 = 6.25*10-10

Now that I think of it, it is impressive the amount of power the Sun is putting out, given the fact that we get warm at all!
 
Last edited:

1. What is the mass of the sun?

The mass of the sun is approximately 333,000 times more massive than the Earth. It has a mass of 1.989 x 10^30 kilograms.

2. How much mass does the Earth gain from the sun each day?

The Earth gains about 100,000 kilograms of mass per day from the sun. This is due to the constant stream of particles, such as solar wind, that the sun emits.

3. Will the Earth eventually collide with the sun due to this mass gain?

No, the Earth will not collide with the sun due to the small amount of mass it gains each day. The Earth's orbit is stable and it will continue to orbit the sun without any major changes.

4. Can the mass gain from the sun affect the Earth's gravity?

The mass gain from the sun is insignificant compared to the Earth's total mass, so it does not have a significant impact on the Earth's gravity.

5. How is the mass gain from the sun measured?

The mass gain from the sun is measured using satellites and other space-based instruments that can detect and measure the particles and energy emitted by the sun. Scientists also use mathematical models and calculations to estimate the mass gain based on the sun's known mass and emission rates.

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