Can Potential Energy Convert Directly into Matter?

AI Thread Summary
The discussion explores the possibility of potential energy converting directly into matter, emphasizing that momentum is essential for this process. It highlights that photons, despite having no mass, possess momentum due to their speed, which allows them to create matter through pair production. The conversation notes that energy, in various forms, is necessary for the emission of photons, which can lead to matter creation. Participants express skepticism about the direct conversion of potential energy to matter without an interaction, suggesting that processes like fusion in massive bodies like the sun involve potential energy transforming into other energy forms. Overall, the consensus leans towards the idea that potential energy typically requires an intermediary interaction to contribute to matter creation.
big_bounce
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Hello all .

We know matter has momentum and because of this creation of pair production occur by photons , because photons have momentum .
Or kinetic energy of collide two objects can create matter because objects in moving have momentum .

But can potential energy directly convert to matter ? if can , momentum comes from where ? from energy ?

Thanks
 
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momentum comes from when something is having a speed or traveling.
A photon doesn't have mass but it has speed and since Einstein we know that speed means something has energy(kinetic) and energy can create and does create matter.
yes momentum come from energy.As the source that emitted photons had to have energy in the first place , otherwise those photons wouldn't be emitted.
 
Crazymechanic said:
momentum comes from when something is having a speed or traveling.
A photon doesn't have mass but it has speed and since Einstein we know that speed means something has energy(kinetic) and energy can create and does create matter.
yes momentum come from energy.As the source that emitted photons had to have energy in the first place , otherwise those photons wouldn't be emitted.

Energy is just a quantity that has many forms .
Photon is not just energy it is an elementary particle and every elementary particles have momentum .
Forms of energy like photon can create electron-positron because photon has momentum .

kinetic energy is a form of energy that belonging a object in moving and a object in moving always has momentum .
 
@big_bounce No I was thinking rather in terms that for the photon to be emitted and have kinetic energy there needs to be a source like the sun or a radio transmitter or something like that.They don't just come up from "thin air"
Well energy comes in different forms yes but in the case of emitted photons the energy is kinetic resulting from velocity.
Was there something wrong with what I said or you just wanted to add? I got confused a little maybe there was a mistake in wording or principles.Although I don't think so.

Well I have to be honest there will be smarter people than me answering your last question about the potential energy but Usually I don't think potential energy can be converted directly.Like the charge of electrons or protons.There has to be an interaction.
Although the sun has large mass and the gravitational potential energy makes fusion possible and that creates Em radiation hence photons.How about that .
 
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