Understanding the Elusive Nature of Mass: Can it Really be Destroyed?

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SUMMARY

The discussion centers on the nature of mass and whether it can be destroyed or created. It is established that mass, particularly invariant mass, cannot be destroyed, while the sum of the rest masses of constituents in a system can vary. The conversation references the concept of matter creation and links to relevant discussions and articles, emphasizing the complexity of defining "mass" and "matter." The participants highlight the importance of understanding these terms in the context of physics.

PREREQUISITES
  • Understanding of invariant mass and its relation to 4-momentum
  • Basic knowledge of matter creation concepts in physics
  • Familiarity with the distinction between mass and matter
  • Access to physics literature and resources for further reading
NEXT STEPS
  • Research the principles of invariant mass in special relativity
  • Explore the concept of matter creation in high-energy physics
  • Study the implications of mass-energy equivalence as described by Einstein's equation E=mc²
  • Review discussions on massless particles, such as photons, and their relationship to mass
USEFUL FOR

Students of physics, educators, and anyone interested in the fundamental concepts of mass and matter in the context of modern physics.

Ravi4213
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I have one question that can we destroy the mass does anyone have answer?
 
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I have one question in my mind and that is can humans create the matter and if answer is yes than how?
 
Welcome to PF!

Is this a homework question? Have you done any reading on it?
 
No I had question in my mind so I have ask it and I haven't read about it and I am new on this site so I don't know the answer.
 
Ravi4213 said:
can humans create the matter

It depends on what you mean by "create" and what you mean by "matter."
 
Ravi4213 said:
I have one question that can we destroy the mass does anyone have answer?

Mass cannot be destroyed. Matter, on the other hand, is a different story.
 
Drakkith said:
Mass cannot be destroyed.

We had this conversation recently (https://www.physicsforums.com/threads/can-a-massless-photon-create-mass.787079/). In the end it boils down to what you mean by "mass". If you mean the invariant mass (as in the square of the total 4-momentum) then it cannot be destroyed. If you mean the sum of the rest masses of all constituents of a system, then yes it can.
 
Orodruin said:
We had this conversation recently (https://www.physicsforums.com/threads/can-a-massless-photon-create-mass.787079/). In the end it boils down to what you mean by "mass". If you mean the invariant mass (as in the square of the total 4-momentum) then it cannot be destroyed. If you mean the sum of the rest masses of all constituents of a system, then yes it can.

Mass shouldn't be allowed to be so complicated. :D
 

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