2006-08-29 15:11:12 · 15 answers · asked by Fogster 1 in Science & Mathematics ➔ Physics
YES, batteries do lose weight when they are discharged.
NO, it isn't a stupid question. The only stupid people are those who answer when they clearly haven't thought about the question.
A bloke called Einstein proved almost 100 years ago that mass and energy are interchangable. Energy is mass and mass is energy. A discharged battery has less energy than a charged battery, and as such it also has less mass.
Now be aware that the mass diffrence is so miniscule as to be efectively immesurable. For a 12 volt car battery the mass difference would probbaly be a fraction of a femtogram.
Nonetheless the diffrence in mass does exist. Unless people are disputing that energy = mass * (lightspeed * lightspeed) then they need to concede that the battery with the least enegry also has the least mass.
2006-08-29 15:34:34 · answer #1 · answered by Anonymous · 4⤊ 0⤋
No. Most batteries are sealed and the chemical reactions inside do not change the total weight when discharged or charged.
A vented (older style vehicle battery) lead acid battery will vary in weight because it looses sulfur, hydrogen and water through evaporation and heat during use.
2006-08-29 15:21:53 · answer #2 · answered by LeAnne 7 · 0⤊ 1⤋
Matter can be converted into energy in a nuclear reaction like fission. The Hiroshima bomb converted the mass of about half a dime into energy. But is there really any chemical reaction which does so? When hydrogen burns to form water, do the water molecules weigh less than the hydrogen and oxygen molecules which reacted? Some molecular weights:
02.016 H2
02.016 H2
31.999 O2
----------
36.031
18.015 H2O
18.015 H2O
-----------
36.030
but before you conclude that the two water molecules weigh less than the oxygen and two hydrogen molecules, note that the precision of the data is not high enough to support that conclusion, and the difference could simply be rounding error.
Anyone have a definitive answer? I'm really curious now.
2006-08-29 20:30:13 · answer #3 · answered by Frank N 7 · 0⤊ 1⤋
YES. As we all know, E = mc^2. So when the battery loses energy, it loses mass.
Not that we'd ever be able to measure it though.
Because the mass related to the energy lost is so massively (no pun intended) smaller than the mass of the battery.
But if the question is "does the battery lose mass", not "would we be able to measure the mass lost", then the answer is a clear and resounding "yes".
hope this helps
a
2006-08-30 01:55:59 · answer #4 · answered by AntoineBachmann 5 · 0⤊ 0⤋
Bake a healthy breakfast beforehand to ensure you don't grab a sugary scone busy.
2017-03-11 01:52:43 · answer #5 · answered by Joel 3 · 0⤊ 0⤋
I agree with leviter atin. Since energy leaves the battery to be used elsewhere, the battery will lose mass according to E=mc^2.
2006-08-30 01:18:40 · answer #6 · answered by clive 2 · 0⤊ 0⤋
When you can prevent 500 calories a day you'll be able to drop the single lb 7 days.
2016-02-12 10:06:39 · answer #7 · answered by Anonymous · 0⤊ 0⤋
no, any electrons leaving the circuit via the anode (or is it cathode, I always mix those up) are returned.
Besides, the 'weight' of the electrons are so small compared to the battery it doesn't matter
2006-08-29 15:15:12 · answer #8 · answered by perk 2 · 0⤊ 1⤋
No. They do not lose anything, it is just that the electrons go from one side of the battery and go into the other at the same rate
2006-08-29 15:15:21 · answer #9 · answered by Duke 1 · 0⤊ 1⤋
Baggy clothes hide your whole body and encourage lounging around. So even if you're relaxing at home, wear fitted clothes and keep you on track.
2016-02-24 21:51:52 · answer #10 · answered by ? 3 · 0⤊ 0⤋