Register | Sign In


Understanding through Discussion


EvC Forum active members: 66 (9164 total)
3 online now:
Newest Member: ChatGPT
Post Volume: Total: 916,483 Year: 3,740/9,624 Month: 611/974 Week: 224/276 Day: 64/34 Hour: 1/2


Thread  Details

Email This Thread
Newer Topic | Older Topic
  
Author Topic:   Misconceptions of E=MC^2
pelican
Member (Idle past 5008 days)
Posts: 781
From: australia
Joined: 05-27-2007


Message 106 of 243 (452557)
01-30-2008 5:20 PM
Reply to: Message 99 by Percy
01-30-2008 8:30 AM


Re: E=MC2 experiments
The equivalence has been experimentally verified in both directions. The conversion of energy to mass is much more difficult because such huge amounts of energy are necessary to create very little mass.
Thanks. I have been waiting for this. This is great. This is the clearest, simplest understandable definition on this thread.
Can you give an example of energy to mass?

This message is a reply to:
 Message 99 by Percy, posted 01-30-2008 8:30 AM Percy has not replied

Replies to this message:
 Message 107 by New Cat's Eye, posted 01-30-2008 5:26 PM pelican has replied

  
New Cat's Eye
Inactive Member


Message 107 of 243 (452560)
01-30-2008 5:26 PM
Reply to: Message 106 by pelican
01-30-2008 5:20 PM


Re: E=MC2 experiments
Can you give an example of energy to mass?
cavediver already did in Message 80 where he linked to this page.

This message is a reply to:
 Message 106 by pelican, posted 01-30-2008 5:20 PM pelican has replied

Replies to this message:
 Message 111 by pelican, posted 01-30-2008 8:05 PM New Cat's Eye has replied

  
pelican
Member (Idle past 5008 days)
Posts: 781
From: australia
Joined: 05-27-2007


Message 108 of 243 (452581)
01-30-2008 6:52 PM
Reply to: Message 102 by Modulous
01-30-2008 9:06 AM


Re: Keeping it simple
m
e = mc2
divide both sides by c2
e/c2 = m
Ok Thanks. This equasion e/c2=m, is the same value as e=mc2. yes? What does m equal? Genuine question. I don't know how to do it.
Yes, you've expressed some of them yourself, providing a wonderful example of the thread's topic; that it is about getting matter travel at impossible speeds so that it becomes energy, for example.
The formula for 'm' will hopefully clear this up.
You seem to have doubts that it has been experimentally confirmed. So, if you would be so kind as to answer the question: Would you agree that if we were to measure, e, m, and c and we were to find that e=mc2 that would confirm the equation was accurate?
I see that in some expressions of the equasion, it becomes a testable formula and other expressions of it are a balanced mathematical equasion that remains a theory. In my mind E=MC2 can be a theory that is supported by empirical evidence, a formula or a mathematical equasion.
I contend that when it is in the form of a theory, it is not testable. When it is an equasion it balances in numerical form. When it is a formula it is testable.
But I could be wrong and I'm sure someone will point it out to me. That is the name of the game, isn't it? I am a new kid on the block.

This message is a reply to:
 Message 102 by Modulous, posted 01-30-2008 9:06 AM Modulous has replied

Replies to this message:
 Message 109 by Modulous, posted 01-30-2008 7:31 PM pelican has replied

  
Modulous
Member
Posts: 7801
From: Manchester, UK
Joined: 05-01-2005


Message 109 of 243 (452596)
01-30-2008 7:31 PM
Reply to: Message 108 by pelican
01-30-2008 6:52 PM


Re: Keeping it simple
Ok Thanks. This equasion e/c2=m, is the same value as e=mc2. yes?
It's the same equation rearranged, yes. They are identical 'statements' 'worded' differently.
18 = 2 x 32
means the same as
18\32 = 2
What does m equal? Genuine question. I don't know how to do it.
If you are trying to solve for m, you need to measure e and c. m of course is mass. So if you measure the energy and the speed of light you can use this equation to solve for mass.
The formula for 'm' will hopefully clear this up.
I have already give the formula. The formula is
m = e/c2
Does that now clear this up? If not let me explain:
At rest, something with mass will still have energy!
This is interesting. The old equations would tell us that the energy of an object of given mass depended on it having some velocity.
energy = 1/2m v2
Now Einstein has described a universe where something can have a velocity of zero and still have energy. That is a big claim. So we measured this prediction. It turned out to be true. Voila. Travelling at any speed, even impossible ones is nothing to do with the equation. Once we start talking about travelling at a velocity things get a little different, because travelling at speed requires energy which produces a corresponding mass.
I see that in some expressions of the equasion, it becomes a testable formula and other expressions of it are a balanced mathematical equasion that remains a theory.
There is only one expression of the equation
e = mc2
You can substitute various things that represent e or m and if there is work to be done, you can include that. That's it. No other ways of expressing it. It is a factual claim about how energy and mass are related. All we need to do is measure the way energy and mass are related. There is nothing else to it.
I already covered the issue of it being a theory. It is not, it is the result of modifying Newton's laws in accordance to mathematical principles and theory. The result is a law, a description, of the relationship between energy and mass. This relationship can be measured. It turns out the equation correctly describes this relationship to a high degree of accuracy.
I contend that when it is in the form of a theory, it is not testable. When it is an equasion it balances in numerical form. When it is a formula it is testable.
The theory is relativity. Relativity has been tested.
The law is a prediction of the theory.
It is a prediction that has been confirmed as true, within a high degree of accuracy. It is more accurate than it's predecessors, Newton's laws.
The question I am asking is very simple. Do you agree we can test whether the formula is actually an accurate description of the real world by measuring the real world values of e, m and c and seeing how they are related?
Edited by Modulous, : No reason given.

This message is a reply to:
 Message 108 by pelican, posted 01-30-2008 6:52 PM pelican has replied

Replies to this message:
 Message 112 by pelican, posted 01-30-2008 8:24 PM Modulous has replied

  
pelican
Member (Idle past 5008 days)
Posts: 781
From: australia
Joined: 05-27-2007


Message 110 of 243 (452605)
01-30-2008 7:50 PM
Reply to: Message 105 by molbiogirl
01-30-2008 4:27 PM


Re: keeping it simple
heinrik writes:
Thanks but these symbols are way over my head. Can these be expressed in words.
Re: keeping it simple
---------------------------------------------------------------------
Nonsense.
You just don't want to try.
I know what it's like to sit in a physics lecture and be so gd lost that you're just watching a guy write on a chalkboard.
I felt that way in P Chem today.
But RAZD's explanation is simple, clear and to the point. Every variable is defined, every step is explained.
But maybe I am expecting too much. After all. You were unable to deduce the E = mc2 is equivalent to E/c2 = m.
Oh. And one more thing.
You are aware that particle accelerators create matter from energy now, yes?
(Adding, of course, the necessary caveats re: "creation" that have been mentioned in this thread, e.g. Message 103.)
Edited by molbiogirl, 01-31-2008 06:28 AM: No reason given.
Edited by molbiogirl, 01-31-2008 06:29 AM: darn codes
This is a fine example of a superior attitude over someone who openly admitted lack of knowledge (from post1) and is obviously trying very hard to understand concepts in an area not familiar with.
I am aware of my own 'inferiororities'. Are you familiar with your superiorority? Did you not notice the title? Can you simplify anything?

This message is a reply to:
 Message 105 by molbiogirl, posted 01-30-2008 4:27 PM molbiogirl has not replied

  
pelican
Member (Idle past 5008 days)
Posts: 781
From: australia
Joined: 05-27-2007


Message 111 of 243 (452609)
01-30-2008 8:05 PM
Reply to: Message 107 by New Cat's Eye
01-30-2008 5:26 PM


Re: E=MC2 experiments explained in simplest forms
Can you give an example of energy to mass?
cavediver already did in Message 80 where he linked to this page.
Yes I did check them out. I see my mistake.
I should have said, "can you give me a SIMPLE example that the layman such as myself can comprehend?"
I need a simplified version which I believe you are perfectly capable of doing but don't try. I have no evidence to prove this. It is purely my observation.

This message is a reply to:
 Message 107 by New Cat's Eye, posted 01-30-2008 5:26 PM New Cat's Eye has replied

Replies to this message:
 Message 113 by Modulous, posted 01-30-2008 8:25 PM pelican has replied
 Message 121 by kongstad, posted 01-31-2008 3:06 AM pelican has not replied
 Message 123 by New Cat's Eye, posted 01-31-2008 10:48 AM pelican has not replied
 Message 125 by NosyNed, posted 01-31-2008 11:39 AM pelican has not replied

  
pelican
Member (Idle past 5008 days)
Posts: 781
From: australia
Joined: 05-27-2007


Message 112 of 243 (452621)
01-30-2008 8:24 PM
Reply to: Message 109 by Modulous
01-30-2008 7:31 PM


Re: Keeping it simple
18 = 2 x 32
means the same as
18\32 = 2
When I went to school a long time ago those mathematical equasions would mean thus-
18=2x32
18=64 ??
18/32=21
0.5625=21 ??
It's the same equation rearranged, yes. They are identical 'statements' 'worded' differently.
This seems to be a contradiction.
Do the letters in e=mc2 not represent a measurable number?
This post has everything tied up in knots and you are supposed to be helping me understand. What goes on?
The question I am asking is very simple. Do you agree we can test whether the formula is actually an accurate description of the real world by measuring the real world values of e, m and c and seeing how they are related?
Is it a formula, an equasion or a theory? Which one are you describing? Looking at the algebraic equasions you demonstarated, I would say definately not.

This message is a reply to:
 Message 109 by Modulous, posted 01-30-2008 7:31 PM Modulous has replied

Replies to this message:
 Message 115 by Modulous, posted 01-30-2008 8:39 PM pelican has not replied
 Message 118 by fallacycop, posted 01-30-2008 10:05 PM pelican has not replied

  
Modulous
Member
Posts: 7801
From: Manchester, UK
Joined: 05-01-2005


Message 113 of 243 (452623)
01-30-2008 8:25 PM
Reply to: Message 111 by pelican
01-30-2008 8:05 PM


Re: E=MC2 experiments explained in simplest forms
I need a simplified version which I believe you are perfectly capable of doing but don't try. I have no evidence to prove this. It is purely my observation.
One thing you could do is increase the velocity of something. This will increase the amount of energy that something has. If e=mc2 is true, we should find that the mass of the something will also increase. This has been done, incidentally.
However, it is practically impossible to run an experiment where energy is turned into a brick or something easy like that.
The two reasons are as follows:
1) The amount of energy required is enormous. When a government is given the choice of creating 1kg of stuff versus providing electricity for the nation for the next however many years...they tend to go for the electricity option.
2) When you create matter in this fashion you also tend to create anti-matter which has a nasty habit of combining back with matter to form energy again. We can try and separate the anti-matter out though that is massively difficult to do. Even if we managed to end up with 1kg of matter, it would be in the form of basic particles. We'd have to then figure out how to make those form atoms of the appropriate variety. This is enormously difficult and impractical too. If we wanted something that was heavy enough to form a brick, we'd need to build something akin to a star to do it.
So the simpler way, as I was saying, would be to increase the energy of something and measure the corresponding increase in mass.

This message is a reply to:
 Message 111 by pelican, posted 01-30-2008 8:05 PM pelican has replied

Replies to this message:
 Message 117 by pelican, posted 01-30-2008 8:46 PM Modulous has not replied

  
Coragyps
Member (Idle past 757 days)
Posts: 5553
From: Snyder, Texas, USA
Joined: 11-12-2002


Message 114 of 243 (452632)
01-30-2008 8:35 PM


This really is Duane Ertle all over again. He looked at, say, F=ma as a totally different relationship than its rearrangements, a=F/m or m=F/a - as if the three told you totally different things. Masochists can search him out at CreationTalk.com, though it's been a year or more since he was there.
Henrik, I'm sorry, but with no more comprehension than you are showing here of first-year algebra, it's no wonder that you're struggling.

  
Modulous
Member
Posts: 7801
From: Manchester, UK
Joined: 05-01-2005


Message 115 of 243 (452634)
01-30-2008 8:39 PM
Reply to: Message 112 by pelican
01-30-2008 8:24 PM


basic maths
When I went to school a long time ago those mathematical equasions would mean thus-
What browser are using using? Does it support all html tags? On my browser the equations are not 18 = 2 x 32 but 18 = 2 x 3(squared)
the two is smaller and higher denoting the squared symbol. 2 x 9 = 18, see?
I was mimicking the e=mc2 formula to make it easy for you to translate the principle to that.
Do the letters in e=mc2 not represent a measurable number?
No. They represent two things which will always be equal in value. They represent an equality:
e has the same value as mc2
This post has everything tied up in knots and you are supposed to be helping me understand. What goes on?
If you don't understand basic algebra, how are you going to cope with understanding the consequences of relativistic physics? Here is a simple formula:
F = ma
Measure the mass, measure its acceleration and you can now know how much force was required to give it that acceleration. F = ma does not represent a measurable value. It represents how three measurable values are related to one another. They are related by virtue of F being the same number as the product of m and a.
e is related to m and c by being the same as m x c x c
It really is that straightforward. Reading anything else into it will tie you in knots.
Is it a formula, an equasion or a theory?
In is an equation that is derived from modifying a whole bunch of equations to match up with how the universe should work according to a theory.
Which one are you describing?
The equation. The theory of relativity is much more difficult to explain. Let me reword the question:
Do you agree we can test whether e=mc2 is actually an accurate description of the real world by measuring the real world values of e, m and c and seeing how they are related?

This message is a reply to:
 Message 112 by pelican, posted 01-30-2008 8:24 PM pelican has not replied

Replies to this message:
 Message 116 by teen4christ, posted 01-30-2008 8:41 PM Modulous has not replied

  
teen4christ
Member (Idle past 5821 days)
Posts: 238
Joined: 01-15-2008


Message 116 of 243 (452636)
01-30-2008 8:41 PM
Reply to: Message 115 by Modulous
01-30-2008 8:39 PM


Re: basic maths
quote:
the two is smaller and higher denoting the squared symbol. 2 x 9 = 18, see?
It helps if you use "^" for a superscript. 3^2 = 9.

This message is a reply to:
 Message 115 by Modulous, posted 01-30-2008 8:39 PM Modulous has not replied

  
pelican
Member (Idle past 5008 days)
Posts: 781
From: australia
Joined: 05-27-2007


Message 117 of 243 (452640)
01-30-2008 8:46 PM
Reply to: Message 113 by Modulous
01-30-2008 8:25 PM


Re: E=MC2 experiments explained in simplest forms
Modulous, I appreciate your effort of trying to connect to me on my level of understanding.
I am jus an average Joe and I have tried very hard to get my head around all the conflicting information, taking me down paths I have never been before. For example, I had to look up 'empirical'. I hadn't a clue what it meant. I have researched as much as my little head can take in and now it is completely boggled.
I am going on holiday for a few days. You guys have wore me out. I hope the thread doesn't die off while I'm away. I'll be fighting fit when I return. regards

This message is a reply to:
 Message 113 by Modulous, posted 01-30-2008 8:25 PM Modulous has not replied

  
fallacycop
Member (Idle past 5542 days)
Posts: 692
From: Fortaleza-CE Brazil
Joined: 02-18-2006


Message 118 of 243 (452656)
01-30-2008 10:05 PM
Reply to: Message 112 by pelican
01-30-2008 8:24 PM


Re: Keeping it simple
I know that this is completely besides the point, but could you please stop misspelling the word equation? it's getting to my nervs

This message is a reply to:
 Message 112 by pelican, posted 01-30-2008 8:24 PM pelican has not replied

Replies to this message:
 Message 119 by AnswersInGenitals, posted 01-30-2008 11:22 PM fallacycop has not replied

  
AnswersInGenitals
Member (Idle past 173 days)
Posts: 673
Joined: 07-20-2006


Message 119 of 243 (452663)
01-30-2008 11:22 PM
Reply to: Message 118 by fallacycop
01-30-2008 10:05 PM


Re: Keeping it simple
I know that this is completely besides the point, but could you please stop misspelling the word equation? it's getting to my nervs
Could you please stop misspelling nerves? It's giving me a hedake.

This message is a reply to:
 Message 118 by fallacycop, posted 01-30-2008 10:05 PM fallacycop has not replied

Replies to this message:
 Message 120 by Taz, posted 01-31-2008 1:27 AM AnswersInGenitals has not replied

  
Taz
Member (Idle past 3313 days)
Posts: 5069
From: Zerus
Joined: 07-18-2006


Message 120 of 243 (452686)
01-31-2008 1:27 AM
Reply to: Message 119 by AnswersInGenitals
01-30-2008 11:22 PM


Re: Keeping it simple
Coudl all of you stop misspelling worsd? You're messing up my perfect speling thing in my brain...

This message is a reply to:
 Message 119 by AnswersInGenitals, posted 01-30-2008 11:22 PM AnswersInGenitals has not replied

  
Newer Topic | Older Topic
Jump to:


Copyright 2001-2023 by EvC Forum, All Rights Reserved

™ Version 4.2
Innovative software from Qwixotic © 2024