Light and Conservation of Energy

Click For Summary

Discussion Overview

The discussion revolves around the relationship between charged objects in oscillating motion and their ability to produce light waves, specifically focusing on whether a negatively charged pendulum in a vacuum would lose energy differently than a neutrally charged pendulum. The conversation touches on concepts of energy conservation, radiation, and examples from astrophysics.

Discussion Character

  • Exploratory
  • Technical explanation
  • Conceptual clarification

Main Points Raised

  • One participant questions whether a negatively charged pendulum would slow down due to energy loss from emitted light waves, while a neutrally charged pendulum would not experience this effect.
  • Another participant suggests that the pendulum would decrease its amplitude, likening it to the effects of air resistance.
  • A later reply references binary neutron stars and their energy loss due to gravitational radiation, implying that mechanical systems can lose energy through radiation, whether electromagnetic or gravitational.

Areas of Agreement / Disagreement

Participants express differing views on the energy loss of the negatively charged pendulum compared to the neutrally charged one, indicating that the discussion remains unresolved with multiple competing perspectives.

Contextual Notes

The discussion does not clarify the assumptions regarding the nature of radiation from charged objects or the specific conditions under which energy loss occurs. There are also no detailed mathematical steps provided to support the claims made.

paradoxes
Messages
7
Reaction score
0
Sorry if this is posted in the wrong place, I'm new to this forum.

If an object in negatively charged and it is in oscillating motion is produces light waves which have energy. Does this mean that if I had a negatively charged pendulum in a vacuum (no friction/air resistance) it would eventually slow down where as a neutrally charged pendulum wouldn't?

Thanks in advance for a response.
 
Science news on Phys.org
Yes, the pendulum would decrease its amplitude, somewhat as if there were air resistance.
 
  • Like
Likes   Reactions: 1 person
Thanks
 
paradoxes said:
Sorry if this is posted in the wrong place, I'm new to this forum.

If an object in negatively charged and it is in oscillating motion is produces light waves which have energy. Does this mean that if I had a negatively charged pendulum in a vacuum (no friction/air resistance) it would eventually slow down where as a neutrally charged pendulum wouldn't?

And as an interesting side note: the binary neutron stars, PSR B1913+16, discovered in 1974, were shown to be losing energy as a system ... and the calculation showed that the gravitational radiation predicted by Einstein's General Relativity predicted the energy loss with great accuracy:
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/PSR_B1913+16

So yes, mechanical systems can lose energy by means of radiation: electromagnetic or gravitational.
 
  • Like
Likes   Reactions: 1 person

Similar threads

Graduate Conservation of energy in refraction
  • · Replies 7 ·
Replies
7
Views
6K
High School Refraction of Light: Myth or Reality?
  • · Replies 41 ·
2
Replies
41
Views
5K
Graduate Quesitons about scattering of light
  • · Replies 1 ·
Replies
1
Views
1K
High School Magnetic pendulum and electric energy....
  • · Replies 3 ·
Replies
3
Views
2K
Undergrad Conservation of energy in quasar outflows?
  • · Replies 4 ·
Replies
4
Views
2K
Undergrad Energy conservation in Doppler (NOT cosmological) redshifts?
  • · Replies 13 ·
Replies
13
Views
3K
Undergrad Mechanism of Energy Conservation in Zero-Amplitude Sum of EM Waveforms
  • · Replies 21 ·
Replies
21
Views
3K
Graduate The microscopic expl. of how light is slowed in materials
  • · Replies 2 ·
Replies
2
Views
11K
Graduate Evanescent light waves, energy flow and tunneling
  • · Replies 5 ·
Replies
5
Views
4K
High School Why doesn't cosmic inflation violate conservation of energy?
  • · Replies 3 ·
Replies
3
Views
4K