Can Einstein's equivalence principle be violated ? God vs. Devil !?

Question

A positively charged meteorite Zapyu (no such thing, but this is a thought experiment) is falling towards Earth. After it has reached a certain speed (say, v), God decides to show who's boss --- He switches off Zapyu's gravitational field (as God only can). Whap ! Zapyu's gravitational mass also goes to zero. Since Earth now exerts no pull on Zapyu, it continues to fall, but with uniform speed v. God smiles smugly at all who watch. .
Wait, though ! Along comes the Devil, who decides to show some muscle, just to keep his vote-bank intact. Whing ! He switches on a strong upward electric field to slow down/stop Zapyu's fall.

Now speak, O wise ones. Will the Devil succeed or won't he ? If he does, it means Zapyu still has inertial mass (since the external force retards its motion) although no gravitational mass, and the equivalence principle goes for a six. If he doesn't, Zapyu's i-mass has also vanished, the e-principle holds and both God and Einstein sigh in relief.
Well ?

Answer 1

Since Zapyu has no gravitational mass, it must have no inertial mass via the equivalence principle. When the Devil switches on his electric field there will be an electric force on the meteorite. Since the meterorite has no inertial mass, Newton's 2nd law says that it must have an infinite acceleration. Zapyu will instantaneously be pushed away. So, the Devil will win! :)

Answer 2

For reference, Einstein's equivalence principle can be stated with these three points:

1. Mass and weight are proportional (the weak equivalence principle)
2. The outcome of any local non-gravitational experiment is independent of the velocity of the freely-falling reference frame in which it is performed.
3. The outcome of any local non-gravitational experiment is independent of where and when in the universe it is performed.

By the conditions of your thought experiment, God switches off the gravitational field of Zapyu, but He does not remove Zapyu itself. Mass is an intrinsic property of matter, so while God has somehow removed the meteorite's effects on spacetime, it will still have inertia and continue, as you say, at speed v.

Now, until someone comes up with a unified field theory that's actually testable (don't hold your breath), we have to assume that electromagnetism will still affect the meteorite (just as easy to assume this than not, since physicists can't even come to an agreement on exactly what gravity _IS_), so the Devil's electric field will indeed exert a force to slow Zapyu down.

Without numbers, and with the assumptions above being rather arbitrary, it's impossible to say who would win. It really depends on whether you believe that the equivalence principle is true or not; if you do, then the laws of physics operating in a free-falling frame of reference have to operate within the bounds of special relativity. If you don't believe in EEP, then all bets are off.

That's my understanding of it; could be wrong. Ask Stephen Hawking.

Answer 3

Your thought experiment tries to make One who is Eternal equivalantnt to an Angel who was created. The answer isThere is no equivalence.

Einstein Equivalence principe was no Mystery it was stated by Newton before relativity that a force is defined as a force whether it exits in a Gravitational field or Inertial field.

Note acceleration is defined as a force per unit mass.

So the force that is present in holding the Earth together is acceleration times the total mass of the Earth.

Principed of equivalence = a Force is a Force.!

Answer 4

God vs. Devil
good vs. evil. hmm?
ever think that since both good and evil are the outward expressions of mankinds own actions and thoughts that god and the devil are manufactured to put the blame outside of mankind. personification of human deeds.

Answer 5

You are asking a rather irrelevant and confusing question! I may not be abe to answer this at all!