Does binding energy mean energy has a mass?

In summary, the mass defect in an atom is due to the binding energy, which accounts for a small amount of mass. This means that energy can also be considered as mass, as they are two different words for the same thing. The binding energy is proportional to the mass defect and contributes to the overall mass of the atom. Gravity affects photons perpendicular to their direction of travel, resulting in a change in frequency but not speed.
  • #1
brandy
161
0
Is the Mass Defect in the atom due to the Binding Energy and does this account for that small amount of mass?
does this mean that it contributes to the atom's mass and has a mass itself?
 
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  • #2
Yes, of course. [itex]E= mc^2[/itex].
 
  • #3
how? energy=mass * speed of light ^2
big woop. i don't get it.
mass is proportionately equal to energy but this doesn’t mean energy has mass.
elaborate please.
 
  • #4
brandy said:
how? energy=mass * speed of light ^2
big woop. i don't get it.
mass is proportionately equal to energy but this doesn’t mean energy has mass.
elaborate please.

One could say that mass is nothing but an incredibly compact bundle of energy. Mass is how we deal with energy in the frame of reference of gravity. Energy IS mass, mass IS energy.
 
  • #5
brandy said:
how? energy=mass * speed of light ^2
big woop. i don't get it.
mass is proportionately equal to energy but this doesn’t mean energy has mass.
elaborate please.

how do you not get it, for small amounts of mass the energy is large so it takes equally large amounts of energy to have enough mass to notice yes energy has mass.
 
  • #6
brandy said:
how? energy=mass * speed of light ^2
big woop. i don't get it.
mass is proportionately equal to energy but this doesn’t mean energy has mass.
elaborate please.
Yes, you are right. You don't get it. So try learning some relativity. That equation is NOT just a statement that two things are proportional. Wether an equation simply states a proportion or not depends on the physical meaning of the equation, not just the equation itself,
 
  • #7
brandy said:
mass is proportionately equal to energy but this doesn’t mean energy has mass.
Hi brandy, maybe this can help. The general form of the equation is:
[tex]E^2 = m^2 c^4 + p^2 c^2[/tex]
From this equation you can see that if energy is added and the momentum does not increase then the mass must increase. In that sense energy does have mass.
 
  • #8
Of course energy has mass. In fact energy and mass are just 2 different words for one and the same thing.
e.g. gravity is the tendency of energy to attract other forms of energy. Therefore since matter is a form of energy it attracts other matter.
 
  • #9
this also has the consequence that photons attract each other gravitationally
 
  • #10
brandy said:
Is the Mass Defect in the atom due to the Binding Energy and does this account for that small amount of mass?

I think of it as the binding energy is due to the mass defect.

binding energy = mass defect x c2
 
  • #11
If energy is mass, then why does gravity only accelerate a photon perpendicular to the direction of travel, never changing it's speed?
 
  • #12
Not sure what that has to do with the thread topic, but:

Since a photon is massless it must have speed c, therefore nothing will change that.

If the gravitational force is not acting perpendicular to the photon's direction, |p| will change for the photon, even though the speed does not change. I.e., its frequency will shift.
 
  • #13
HallsofIvy said:
Yes, of course. [itex]E= mc^2[/itex].

Agreed, though it might be easier for the OP to think of it this way:
Δm = ΔE / c2​
where ΔE is the binding energy, so this gives you the mass defect. And yes, it contributes to the total mass of the atom.
 

1. What is binding energy?

Binding energy refers to the energy required to hold together a system or structure, such as an atom or nucleus. It is the energy that would be released if the system were to break apart into its individual components.

2. Does binding energy have mass?

Yes, binding energy does have mass. This is because according to Einstein's famous equation E=mc², energy and mass are equivalent and can be converted into one another. Therefore, binding energy, being a form of energy, also has a corresponding mass.

3. How is binding energy related to mass defect?

Binding energy and mass defect are closely related. Mass defect refers to the difference between the mass of an atom's nucleus and the sum of the masses of its individual nucleons (protons and neutrons). This difference in mass is due to the conversion of some mass into binding energy to hold the nucleus together.

4. Does binding energy contribute to the total mass of an atom?

Yes, binding energy does contribute to the total mass of an atom. The total mass of an atom is the sum of the masses of its individual particles, including the mass of the binding energy that holds the nucleus together.

5. Can binding energy be converted into other forms of energy?

Yes, binding energy can be converted into other forms of energy. This can occur through nuclear reactions, such as nuclear fission or fusion, where the nucleus breaks apart and releases the binding energy as heat and radiation.

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