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Senlathial
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I haven't thought of physics since I was in college about 10 years ago (I am a biologist today). For some reason, however, last night when I was lying in bed I started thinking about general relativity. My mind settled on a question that caused me to loose several hours of sleep, and I don't want a repeat tonight!
The question settles around the increase in mass when something approaches the speed of light. As I understand it, when something approaches the speed of light its mass increases, until very near the speed of light it reaches very near infinite mass. I learned this is why no spaceship could accelerate faster than light--because it would take infinite energy to move infinite mass past that speed limit.
For some reason, I centered on what effects this increased mass would have on the surrounding environment. I thought about the Earth orbiting the sun and the sun orbiting the center of the galaxy. To an observer above the Milky Way, it would appear that when the Earth is going around the sun in the same direction as the sun is going around the galaxy, then it is going faster than at the opposite time of the year when the Earth's orbit is going against the sun's orbit around the galaxy. Doesn't this mean that the mass of the Earth (or a defined particle on the earth) is increased at one time of the year than at the opposite time of the year? Even a very small amount?
As I thought about this question, I came up with a better one. This is the question that really confounded me: If a particle's mass increases to infinity as it approaches the speed of light, what effect does that increased mass have on particles in the environment that are not traveling at the speed of light?
Let's say there is a man in a spaceship traveling at the speed of light. He flies past a rock in the solar system close enough for his spaceship to gravitationally alter the rock's course. Now, to an outside observer, I seem to recall that the spaceship has near infinite mass because it is moving at near the speed of light. I also recall that the man inside the spaceship would not notice the increased mass--everything would appear normal in his environment. (Correct me if I am wrong on this please.) Now, I thought, if the ship had infinite mass, the path of the rock would be altered much more than if it had the ordinary mass. To the outside observer, the rock would appear to have moved significantly. But if the man in the ship could somehow look behind him, wouldn't he see the rock move only slightly, as he thinks his mass is normal? Maybe the man in the ship can not look behind him, so let's say he stops some distance past the rock and looks behind him. Is the rock in the location the outside observer says it is (moved a lot--infinite mass affected the path of the rock greatly) or is the rock in the location the astronaut thinks it is (hasn't moved much--not much mass to move it)?
Please help me get some sleep tonight! Thanks!
Sen
The question settles around the increase in mass when something approaches the speed of light. As I understand it, when something approaches the speed of light its mass increases, until very near the speed of light it reaches very near infinite mass. I learned this is why no spaceship could accelerate faster than light--because it would take infinite energy to move infinite mass past that speed limit.
For some reason, I centered on what effects this increased mass would have on the surrounding environment. I thought about the Earth orbiting the sun and the sun orbiting the center of the galaxy. To an observer above the Milky Way, it would appear that when the Earth is going around the sun in the same direction as the sun is going around the galaxy, then it is going faster than at the opposite time of the year when the Earth's orbit is going against the sun's orbit around the galaxy. Doesn't this mean that the mass of the Earth (or a defined particle on the earth) is increased at one time of the year than at the opposite time of the year? Even a very small amount?
As I thought about this question, I came up with a better one. This is the question that really confounded me: If a particle's mass increases to infinity as it approaches the speed of light, what effect does that increased mass have on particles in the environment that are not traveling at the speed of light?
Let's say there is a man in a spaceship traveling at the speed of light. He flies past a rock in the solar system close enough for his spaceship to gravitationally alter the rock's course. Now, to an outside observer, I seem to recall that the spaceship has near infinite mass because it is moving at near the speed of light. I also recall that the man inside the spaceship would not notice the increased mass--everything would appear normal in his environment. (Correct me if I am wrong on this please.) Now, I thought, if the ship had infinite mass, the path of the rock would be altered much more than if it had the ordinary mass. To the outside observer, the rock would appear to have moved significantly. But if the man in the ship could somehow look behind him, wouldn't he see the rock move only slightly, as he thinks his mass is normal? Maybe the man in the ship can not look behind him, so let's say he stops some distance past the rock and looks behind him. Is the rock in the location the outside observer says it is (moved a lot--infinite mass affected the path of the rock greatly) or is the rock in the location the astronaut thinks it is (hasn't moved much--not much mass to move it)?
Please help me get some sleep tonight! Thanks!
Sen