Does heat affect the mass of an object?

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SUMMARY

The discussion centers on the impact of heat on the mass of an object, specifically in the context of a physics experiment involving a copper cathode. Participants debated whether temperature changes affect weight or mass, referencing the equation E=mc² and the concept of specific heat capacity. Key insights include the understanding that while mass remains constant, weight can fluctuate due to environmental factors such as convection currents. The importance of allowing the copper to cool before weighing was emphasized to ensure accurate measurements.

PREREQUISITES
  • Understanding of E=mc² and its implications in physics
  • Familiarity with specific heat capacity calculations
  • Basic knowledge of weight and mass differentiation
  • Concept of convection currents and their effects on measurements
NEXT STEPS
  • Research the relationship between temperature and weight in physical objects
  • Learn about the principles of convection and conduction in thermal dynamics
  • Explore the implications of E=mc² in practical applications beyond binding energy
  • Investigate how environmental factors influence mass measurements in experiments
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Students in physics, educators conducting experiments on thermal dynamics, and anyone interested in the relationship between heat and mass measurements.

treeelf5150
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Recently our Physics teacher did a demo with us on anodes and cathodes to determine the electric charge on an electron. During a certain part of the demo, he had to dry the copper cathode to determine the difference in weight. He then told us it was very important tat he waited until the copper had cooled before he massed it again. He asked us why, but none of the class could figure out why. So he told us to go home and research it on the internet. I have been, but I have seen both yes's and no's about whether the temperature would affect the weight. Can someone explain to me why ou would have to wait to weigh the copper again?
 
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Consider my idea, Maybe it is because E=MC^2, tempature is a measurement of kinetic energy and heat is the flow of thermal energy so they are all related. So if you increase the tempature or TE then would it not cause the mass to decrease? Do not believe me without verifaction though because I have only used the E=MC^2 equation to calculate binding energy, I am not too familiar of its applications. Furthermore I know that the specific heat of an object is based off its mass and other properties, here is the equation for specific heat capacity
C(specific Heat Capacity)=Q(heat in joules)/M(mass kg)*ChangeTemp(Kelvins or celsius)
but the equation would not explain the mass changing, it assumes that the mass is constant for that heat capacity and describes "how much energy it would take to heat 1kg of a substance by one kelvin or celsius")
 
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Jewish_Vulcan said:
Consider my idea, Maybe it is because E=MC^2, tempature is a measurement of kinetic energy and heat is the flow of thermal energy so they are all related. So if you increase the tempature or TE then would it not cause the mass to decrease? Do not believe me without verifaction though because I have only used the E=MC^2 equation to calculate binding energy, I am not too familiar of its applications. Furthermore I know that the specific heat of an object is based off its mass and other properties, here is the equation for specific heat capacity
C(specific Heat Capacity)=Q(heat in joules)/M(mass kg)*ChangeTemp(Kelvins or celsius)
but the equation would not explain the mass changing, it assumes that the mass is constant for that heat capacity and describes "how much energy it would take to heat 1kg of a substance by one kelvin or celsius")

yes, that sort of makes sense, I was thinking maybe it doesn't increase the mass, but the weight? Also maybe something to do with conduction waves... I'm not sure, he's supposed to tell us the next time we meet for class but it's just itching at me I want to know why
 
treeelf5150 said:
yes, that sort of makes sense, I was thinking maybe it doesn't increase the mass, but the weight? Also maybe something to do with conduction waves... I'm not sure, he's supposed to tell us the next time we meet for class but it's just itching at me I want to know why
I know the feeling haha, remember Fweight=M(mass kg)*G(gravity 9.81m/s^2 on earth), so if mass increased Fw would increase. If we are not in a vacuum then convection currents could cause the mass to change. Please describe the setup of the experiment in more detail, what happened before and then after the change in mass?
 
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