Has the gowing population of Earth has effected its Mass?

Answer 1

No...mass cannot be created or destroyed. As people are coming into existence, other things are disappearing.

Answer 2

The only ways to gain mass is to have chunks fall into the earth or convert solar energy into mass. There is no mechanism for the second, and we do indeed add earth mass from the first.

The only way to lose mass is to remove chunks from the earth, or to convert mass into energy and radiate it away from the earth. No chucks have left recently, except a few space probes and lunar landers. The earth does give off energy in the form of heat and radiation (mostly magnetic) generated by the earth's molten core, but that is minimal, not human related, and offset by the tons of space material that lands on the earth everyday. Ultimately, the earth is growing ever so slightly, by not due to human population. Animal life (including humans) is simple redistribution of mass that is already on earth.

Answer 3

Oh yeah, like we are eating food from some place other that the Earth. The only way to change the mass of the Earth is to import something from outerspace. Okay, if we could figure out how to convert energy into mass (rewrite Einstein's equation: m=c^2/E) then we could change the mass that way. Really, using nuclear power we are reducing the mass of the Earth, ever so slightly.

Answer 4

Actually- since human beings use energy, and E = mc^2 there would be a very small reduction in the amount of mass. But- from a newtonian perspective- no change.

That's silly to think that because an Oak tree weighs more than an acorn, that the mass of the earth has increased. The acorn takes water, dirt, light, and mass from it's surrounding areas in order to grow. The ecosystem doesn't change mass when things grow in it.

Answer 5

no. but the things we do have effected it's spin. dams in the northern hemispher have increased the spin and the inward-arcing motion of Earth's wobble ( north pole) abruptly takes a 90° turn to the left in March 1973. Then, between June of 1974 and June 1975, the pole's motion exhibited several erratic back and forth motions before settling down to a more normal motion by August 1975.
The last dams built on the Columbia came on line during the 1960s and 1970s. In 1973, Canada completed the last of the mainstem dams, Mica Dam on the upper river.

Our planet is most stable when its most massive parts are farthest from its spin axis; that is, on the equator

Answer 6

The mass required for this growing population hasnot come from space- but has been provided from the earth only. So, no question of effecting the 'Net Mass' of earth.

Answer 7

The guy who said we just don't weigh enough is correct. The mass of all people on Earth is almost nothing compared the Earth's mass. Actually, I think all the insects on Earth outweigh all the people.

Answer 8

The only change in the earth's mass is all the space junk falling into the atmosphere daily.

Answer 9

Whatever the population has gained, it is from earth itself i.e. no material came from outside. So net mass of earth is constant.
Kuldeep Singh

Answer 10

We are from the earth, and will be put back into the earth.
We grow food we eat the food, and we go back to the earth when we die

But the earths mass is very very slowly increasing, not by us. but by cosmic dust that falls to earth, from outer space.
Sometimes you see them as tiny shooting stars at night.
A few tons fall on earth every day

Answer 11

No. Just one resource is converted to another. A person is born and grows, but a resource is consumed in the process....food, water, air, etc. The mass does not change.