Measuring Mass of a Bowling Ball Dropped into a Black Hole

[PeterDonis]

Does this not imply then that the "lowerer" will always be using more power in the experiment than is "gained" back via the tether?

So far we have been ignoring any power requirements for exerting thrust. This is typical for these kinds of thought experiments.

Since this thread is about how we would measure the mass of the object being lowered, not about whether any net energy can be extracted from the lowering process once the energy requirements for holding station are included, ignoring the power required to exert thrust for this thread does not seem objectionable. If you want to discuss the net energy extraction question, it would be fine to start a separate thread on that topic.

 

[Heikki Tuuri]

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ultimate_tensile_strength
I calculated a practical example. Make a 1 x 1 millimeter^2 thick tether of graphene and put it between the Moon and the surface of Earth.

Its mass is 380 metric tons, weight 60,000 Newtons, and it can lift a load of 7 tons from Earth.

The redshift from the surface of Earth is less than 10^-9. That is too small. We cannot measure the increase in the inertial mass of the 7 ton load.