Acceleration, Mass & Gravitational Tug

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Discussion Overview

The discussion revolves around the relationship between acceleration, mass, and gravitational effects, particularly whether gravitational acceleration can lead to mass increase similar to that caused by a driving force. The conversation touches on concepts from relativity and specific experimental evidence related to energy changes in gravitational fields.

Discussion Character

  • Debate/contested
  • Conceptual clarification
  • Experimental/applied

Main Points Raised

  • One participant suggests that an object's mass increases with acceleration due to energy conversion, questioning if this applies to gravitational acceleration without a driving force.
  • Another participant counters that mass increase is a relative effect linked to the theory of relativity, implying that gravitational effects do not lead to mass increase in the same way.
  • A participant references the Pound and Rebka Mossbauer Effect experiment, indicating that while photons gain energy due to gravity, this does not equate to a mass gain.
  • Further discussion raises the question of what happens to the energy gained from gravitational tug if it does not convert to mass, specifically in the context of photons and their energy-momentum relationship.

Areas of Agreement / Disagreement

Participants express differing views on whether gravitational acceleration can lead to mass increase, with some asserting it does not while others explore the implications of energy gain without mass conversion. The discussion remains unresolved with multiple competing perspectives.

Contextual Notes

There are limitations regarding the assumptions made about mass-energy equivalence and the specific conditions under which gravitational effects are considered. The relationship between energy gain and mass conversion is not fully explored, leaving open questions about the nature of energy in gravitational fields.

tanzanos
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If an object increases mass with acceleration due to the energy driving force converting to mass then is it true also when there is no driving force but gravitational tug acting to accelerate the object?
 
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No, an object increase mass due to the link of space and time according to theory of relativity. This increase is a relative effect.
 
tanzanos said:
If an object increases mass with acceleration due to the energy driving force converting to mass then is it true also when there is no driving force but gravitational tug acting to accelerate the object?
Could you be thinking about the Pound and Rebka Mossbauer Effect experiment at Harvard in which photons from an iron-57 source falling from the roof to the basement of the phyics building gained a measurable amount of energy? In this case there was no mass gained, but the photon energy gain was due to gravity.
 
Last edited:
Bob S said:
Could you be thinking about the Pound and Rebka Mossbauer Effect experiment at Harvard in which photons from an iron-57 source falling from the roof to the basement of the phyics building gained a measurable amount of energy? In this case there was no mass gained, but the photon energy gain was due to gravity.
So gravitational tug causes an object to gain energy but that energy does not convert to mass? What happens to this energy?
 
tanzanos said:
So gravitational tug causes an object to gain energy but that energy does not convert to mass? What happens to this energy?
For photons, E2=(pc)2 + (m0c2)2, so for photons with zero rest mass, the energy increase is equal to the momentum increase; E = pc.
 

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