Why Do Objects Gain Mass at High Speeds and Seek Minimum Energy?

In summary, to understand why objects want to have the smallest energy and why approaching light speed causes mass to increase, you will need to study thermodynamics potentials and availability as well as special relativity. The rest mass remains constant, while the perceived increase in mass is actually just an increase in energy. Feynman's books on physics may be a helpful resource for gaining a deeper understanding.
  • #1
oneat
3
0
Do you know what should I read to understand why everything wants to have the smallest energy and why every object which is approaching light speed puts on mass?
 
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  • #2
Actually not everything wants to have smallest energy. It rather wants to have the smallest free energy, which can be one of the 4 potentials in
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Thermodynamic_free_energy
Which one exactly depends on the system constraints.
One can derive from the second law of thermodynamics, that a thermodynamic potential has to be minimized!
So you'd need to read about thermodynamics potentials and even more importantly the so called "availability".

To learn why the mass seems to increase you'd have to study special relativity. Well, the rest mass does not increase. So in fact forget that there is any mass apart from the rest mass (which is constant). The other thing is only energy. It is an outdated view that there is something called mass which increases with velocity.

How much do you know so far? What sort of understanding do you need?
 
  • #3
Just those questions and no others?

I would suggest Feynman, Volumes 1 2 and 3.
 

1. What is the relationship between mass and energy?

The relationship between mass and energy is described by Einstein's famous equation, E=mc². This equation shows that mass and energy are interchangeable and that a small amount of mass can produce a large amount of energy.

2. How does mass affect energy?

Mass affects energy in several ways. First, the more massive an object is, the more potential energy it has. Second, mass is required for energy to be converted from one form to another. Finally, the amount of energy an object has can be used to determine its mass.

3. Can mass be converted into energy?

Yes, according to Einstein's equation, mass can be converted into energy and vice versa. This process is known as mass-energy equivalence and has been proven through experiments such as nuclear reactions and particle accelerators.

4. What is the difference between mass and energy?

Mass and energy are two different forms of the same physical quantity. Mass is a measure of an object's inertia, while energy is a measure of its ability to do work. Mass is measured in kilograms (kg), while energy is measured in joules (J).

5. How is mass-energy equivalence used in practical applications?

The principles of mass-energy equivalence have been applied in various technologies, including nuclear power plants and nuclear weapons. It has also been used in medical imaging techniques, such as positron emission tomography (PET) scans, which use the conversion of mass into energy to produce images of the body's internal structures.

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