Relativity of Mass or 'Weight' ?

Click For Summary

Discussion Overview

The discussion revolves around the concept of mass and weight, particularly in relation to hydrogen and its behavior in different environments, such as a vacuum or on the Moon. Participants explore the implications of defining mass and weight, as well as the density of gases.

Discussion Character

  • Debate/contested
  • Conceptual clarification
  • Exploratory

Main Points Raised

  • Some participants assert that hydrogen's mass or weight can be considered negative, depending on the reference point used, such as the mass of air.
  • Others argue that in a vacuum or near-vacuum, a hydrogen balloon would fall, challenging the notion of negative weight.
  • A participant questions the validity of the original claim about hydrogen's mass or weight being negative, stating that hydrogen has a density that is not negative and that nothing can have negative density, weight, or mass.
  • There is a mention of the concept of 'zero' density, with a participant suggesting that 'nothing' has zero density or weight.
  • Another participant references historical views on photons and neutrinos being massless, indicating a broader context of mass discussions.
  • There is a side conversation about the identity of participants and their credibility, with references to past discussions on a different forum.

Areas of Agreement / Disagreement

Participants do not reach a consensus on the nature of hydrogen's mass or weight, with multiple competing views and interpretations remaining unresolved.

Contextual Notes

The discussion includes assumptions about reference points for mass and weight, as well as the definitions of density. There are unresolved questions regarding the behavior of gases in different environments and the implications of massless particles.

toe21k
...


Hydogen's Mass or 'Weight' is negative (i.e. less than 0 kg)


Given a Balloon filled with 'Hydrogen'...


[?]
 
Physics news on Phys.org
Originally posted by toe21k
...


Hydogen's Mass or 'Weight' is negative (i.e. less than 0 kg)



Only if we first set the mass or weight of air as our "0" point. In a vacuum, or even a near-vacuum like on the Moon or at very high altitude, a hydrogen balloon will fall.
 
That depends upon the strength of balloon I suspect (I confess I have never actually done the experiment!) that a standard helium filled balloon (filled with, say, 1/10 the helium one would normally put in it), on the moon, would not burst but would fall as Lurch said.


By the way, the original post:
[quoge]Hydogen's Mass or 'Weight' is negative (i.e. less than 0 kg)[/quote]
is non-sense for a variety of reasons.

Hydrogen does not have a specific weight or mass: it has density measured (mass-density) of kg/m3 or (weight-density) Newtons/m3.

Nothing has negative density (or weight or mass) pretty much by definition.
 
So as Zero...

i.e. 'Nothing' has Zero density (or weight or mass...etc.).
http://superstringtheory.com/forum/partboard/messages20/46.html
 
Last edited by a moderator:
And the point of the last two posts was?
 
kx21 - folk on superstringtheory.com thought she was a bot

For those who are interested, a look at some of the threads on the (now defunct?) superstringtheory.com forum may give some insight into kx21 and what meaning her posts have.

There was, IIRC, an exchange between two old hands on that forum, discussing whether kx21 was real, or just a bot.

Of course, toe21k may have no relation whatsoever to kx21 ...
 

Similar threads

  • · Replies 36 ·
2
Replies
36
Views
3K
  • · Replies 3 ·
Replies
3
Views
1K
  • · Replies 11 ·
Replies
11
Views
2K
  • · Replies 10 ·
Replies
10
Views
1K
  • · Replies 5 ·
Replies
5
Views
1K
  • · Replies 4 ·
Replies
4
Views
1K
  • · Replies 14 ·
Replies
14
Views
2K
  • · Replies 10 ·
Replies
10
Views
2K
  • · Replies 22 ·
Replies
22
Views
3K
  • · Replies 2 ·
Replies
2
Views
1K