Dirac's Rest Mass in Minowski Spacetime

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SUMMARY

Dirac's rest mass cannot be accurately represented as a fourth dimension within Minkowski spacetime. The discussion highlights the inconsistency of expressing rest mass, measured in kilograms, as a spatial dimension, which is measured in meters. The proposed formula S^2=x^2+y^2+z^2+(rest-mass dimension)^2-(ct)^2 is deemed nonsensical, emphasizing the fundamental differences between mass and spatial dimensions. The participants conclude that Dirac's interpretation of rest mass does not align with the principles of Minkowski spacetime.

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  • Basic knowledge of dimensional analysis
  • Grasp of the differences between mass and spatial dimensions
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Bob Dylan
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Dirac's rest mass seems to be expressed as a fourth dimension. If we were to try to include this rest-mass dimension into Minowski space time, could it be expressed as a distance in space? S^2=x^2+y^2+z^2+(rest-mass dimension)^2-(ct)^2?
 
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Think about the dimensions in your expression! You'll see that it doesn't make any sense, and I'm pretty sure Dirac has never written such a nonsensical formula ;-).
 
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Thank you again for the reply. Was I mistaken then in thinking of rest mass as a fourth dimension?
 
Of course, how can a mass (dimension kg in the SI) be a fourth dimension of space (dimension metre in the SI)? It's simply not making the slightest sense! Where have you gotten this idea from?
 
Bob Dylan said:
Dirac's rest mass seems to be expressed as a fourth dimension.

Where are you getting that from?
 
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