Potential energy as a form of mass?

AI Thread Summary
The discussion revolves around the calculation of potential energy and its conversion to mass using the equation E=mc². A mass of 5 kg at a height of 3 m results in a potential energy of 147 J, which was incorrectly converted to an equivalent mass of 10.2e3 kg. The correct calculation shows that the mass equivalent of the potential energy is approximately 3 kg, indicating that the total energy contribution of the system differs from the rest energy of the mass alone. The confusion stems from miscalculating the units and understanding the relationship between energy and mass. This highlights the importance of accurate calculations in physics.
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Homework Statement


Let's say we have a mass of 5kg at a height of 3 m so it's potential energy is mgh = 147J/1.6e-19 = 9.19 e20 eV. Now we know that E = mc^2... so when finding the mass of this potential energy we get 10.2e3 kg. What the hell is that supposed to mean?

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The Attempt at a Solution

 
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Vitani11 said:
mgh = 147J/1.6e-19 = 9.19 e20 eV
Something went wrong with the units here.
Vitani11 said:
Now we know that E = mc^2... so when finding the mass of this potential energy we get 10.2e3 kg
And again here.

If you fix the calculation, you'll get a result of something like 3.000000000000001 kg (didn't count the zeros). It means total contribution to energy of the overall system (Earth+mass) is not the same as the rest energy of the small test mass.
 
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