david316 said:Taking this view, relative to the free fall frame the items will be gaining velocity which implies that the kinetic energy will be increasing.
david316 said:if I use E^2 = (pc)^2 + (mc^2)^2 and since velocity and hence momentum are increasing relative to freefall does that mean the mass of the item on Earth will be getting lighter.
In general relativity, gravitational energy refers to the potential energy that exists between two objects due to their masses and the curvature of space-time. This energy is a result of the warping of space-time caused by the presence of massive objects.
In general relativity, energy is not conserved in the traditional sense. Instead, the total energy of a system, including both matter and gravitational energy, remains constant. This is known as the conservation of the stress-energy tensor, which takes into account the energy and momentum of matter, as well as the energy of the gravitational field.
Yes, in situations where massive objects are in motion or undergoing changes in their gravitational fields, gravitational energy can be converted into other forms of energy such as kinetic energy or electromagnetic radiation. This is observed in phenomena such as gravitational waves and the orbits of celestial bodies.
In Newtonian gravity, gravitational energy is considered to be a separate, distinct form of energy that is conserved separately from other forms of energy. However, in GR, gravitational energy is not considered to be a distinct form of energy and is instead incorporated into the overall conservation of energy and momentum.
Yes, the total gravitational energy of a system can be negative in GR. This occurs when the gravitational potential energy is greater than the total energy of the system, resulting in a negative value. However, this does not violate the principle of energy conservation in GR, as the total energy of the system remains constant.