Einstein's relativistic mass formula= When a mass moves very verly fast where does it pick up its extra mass?

Question

Relativistic mass increases magically?

Answer 1

It'd be nice if a real physicist answers this question. I don't think any of the answers so far make much sense. I'm not one, but Wikipedia has a good discussion of the concept: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mass_in_special_relativity

Note that this article is written by physicists and it indicates that there is no real mass increase, it's just that speed differences affects your inertial frame of reference.

Answer 2

Mass has been thought to be directly equatable in the movement of mass. Einstein realized that mass and energy were interchangable and determined that moving mass gained physical mass. He was mistaken in this assumption. What happens is that energy, in form of frequency, converts at right angles to direction of travel to that of direction of travel.

To understand why this happens, check my 360 blog here @ Yahoo, or go to http://timebones.blogspot.com and there you will find the same two page paper "The Problem and Repair of Relativity."

Answer 3

Any object requires energy to increase its speed.

If m0 is the mass of an object when it is at rest, its internal energy ( potential energy) is given by m0 CC.

If m is its mass when it moves with a speed V, now its total energy including its energy when it was at rest is given by m CC

The difference in these two energies (m-mo) CC is the energy that we have given to the object to move with a speed V.

Thus the energy that we have given is used to increase its mass from m0 to m.

Note that MASS IS A FUNCTION OF SPEED.

When we say that the mass is increased from m0 to m, it means, we have made it to move with a speed V.

It is because the value m denotes the speed V. we cannot use both m and v simultaneously to calculate energy ( as in 1/2 m VV)

In terms of speed, the total energy when it moves with a speed V is m0 CC / Sq.root of {1- (V/C) ^2}

Note that in this equation we are not using m.

Thus the answer to your question is the energy that we gave is used to increase its mass from m0 to m.

Another way of saying this is the energy that we gave is used to make the object move with a speed of V or used to provide a kinetic energy of (m- mo) cc.


It is not an apparent increase of mass. It is actual increase of mass. More over it is not addtion of extra mass from outside.
Mass is a quantity which depends upon speed. Higher is the speed higer is its mass. The minimum mass is it when it is at rest.

Its energy equivalent is mass times the square of the speed of light.




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Answer 4

In order to explain the non linear increase in speed/velocitiy of a body as the velocity of an object approaches a significant fraction of the speed of light (somewhere about 1/100000 of c)
it is necessary for the mass to increase. If it did not increase we would be at a loss to explain this phenomenon.

Answer 5

It does not increase its mass, it's just that seen from an observer that moves relative to the object, the mass is bigger. If you stand next to me and I start walking, then I see you as becoming heavier, while you see me as becoming heavier. We both perceive ourselves as keeping our original weight.

So relativity theory is not so much about the moving objects themselves, it's more about the observation processes when movement is involved.

Answer 6

It's the kinetic energy that you put into the body to accelerate it that causes the relativisic mass gain.