World Science Scholars

13.3 Implications for Mass

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    • Imagine a factory has created two identical blocks of wood. One of the blocks is stationary next to you, while the other has been set in motion and is speeding by you. What would you say about the density of the moving block compared to the stationary block?

      Hint: The density of an object is its mass divided by its volume.

    • As seen from my stationary perspective, the density of the moving block should be higher, since in the equation: density = mass/volume, the mass will be multiplied by gamma and therefore be larger, while the volume will be smaller, because one of the block’s dimensions (the one in the direction of motion) will be contracted (divided by gamma).

    • The density increases.

    • The density increases due to the relativistic increase in mass and the decrease in volume due to length contraction

    • From my perspective mass of the moving block will increase while the volume decreases because of length contraction increasing density

    • The density of moving block will appear to be greater than that of the block at rest.

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    • The density of the moving block will increase.

    • higher density in the moving block due to the Lorentz contraction. Another way would be that mass need to be multiply by gamma which it make it higher too

    • There are two things in play here. The volume changes according to the stationary frame of reference since volume is (length)(width)(height). Width and height won’t change but the length (in the direction of motion) will be shorter. Then, also, the m(v) will be higher than the rest mass. Since there will be more mass per cubic measurement, the density, which is mass/volume will be higher. (speculation) At the speed of light, the density will be undefined since mass will be infinite and volume will be zero (since the length will be infinitely small in the direction of travel; (zero length)(width)(height)=0 and infinite mass/zero volume is division by zero.

    • Density should seem to be higher with volume shrinking.

    • My point of view: The moving block density increases as the velocity is increased due to the length contraction. Moving block point of view: The block density is constant as the Universe is moving.

    • Higher density in the moving block due to the Lorentz contraction. Another way would be that mass need to be multiply by gamma which it make it higher too

    • The density of the moving block will increase. for sure due to rise in mass

    • From my perspective or reference frame, the density of the moving block would be higher than the stationary one. Density=mass/Volume , and as per the energy-mass equivalence , the mass increases by the gamma factor and since the block speeding by me relative to myself ,its dimension which is towards the direction of the motion get lorentz contracted according to me and so the volume will be decreased [ since, volume= area*height] by the same gamma factor. so it is concluded that the the density of the moving block increases.

    • Density increases

    • In my view, the point to note is that the numerator of the equation is increasing AND the denominator is decreasing, hence the density increases A LOT with increasing velocity.
      From the point of view of someone travelling on the block, nothing seems to change, i.e. the mass, volume and density are the same as at rest. One explanation is that this person considers the Universe to be speeding by why he and his block remain stationary. Another explanation is that he is subject to the same Lorenz contraction etc, so any measuring devices he carrys with him will show no change.

    • Compared with resting block, to the stationary observer, i) the moving block volume will appear to be less and ii) the moving block mass will appear to be more, hence iii) the moving block density will appear to be higher because of both of these effects.

    • I would like to calculate what is the distance relative to me. Imagine the piece of wood moving towards me with my eyes closed. That intuition of knowing something is coming, without seeing it, is the field that intrigues me. Manipulating this field more so. In a timeline long enough, the wood and I are family.

    • The density will increase with the increase in velocity as density is mass/volume;
      hence mass increases and by length contraction the volume decreases

    • It’s mass has increased and it’s shorter so volume has decreased. It’s density has increased for 2 reasons.

    • E=mc2 says that density will increase

    • Moving block will have higher density

    • Density has increased because of it’s velocity ( increased mass ), but its rest volume hasn’t changed. It looks as though it’s volume has changed due to length contraction along direction of motion.

    • The density increases for the moving mass, according to the stationary observer. The mass increases due to the relative motion, and the volume that contains the mass decreases because the dimension parallel to the relative motion shrinks according to the Lorentz contraction. Dividing an increased mass by a decreased volume would increase the density.

    • Depends on perspective. But yes, moving body gets Lorentz contracted (and so its density goes up).

    • The divisor goes down because of contraction while momentum increases the dividend.
      These numbers are for example only, they are not mathematically correct using the formulas given.

      If the at rest mass is 5 kg and the at rest volume is 5m^3
      5/5 = 1
      then the density in the non-moving block would be 1 kg/m^3

      But for the on in motion, mass increases and volume decreases, so say both change by 1 (mass 6 kg and volume 4 m^3), you would get the following.
      6/4 = 1.5 kg/m^3

      Therefore density increases when an object is in motion.

    • As the mass of the moving block increases its density also increases

    • The density of the moving block will be larger compared to the stationary block.

    • density increases because of the gamma square term in the density equation

    • The mass would increase and it’s length would contract . . So its density will increase largely

    • Mass does not change it is invariant its momentum that is non linear with increasing speed

    • Density should remain the same. Think of the volume as a cube, then you notice that only one of the 3 sides shrinks. An since it shrinks by the same factor that the apparent mass increases, the two cancel out and the density remains the same.

      • they would cancel out if volume would expand and mass increase ( or vice vresa) but they seem to even double the effect

      • It has to gain mass to compensate for its lost time in its total energy, unless it loses mass.

    • The density increases at hugher rate than gamma because of the added Lorentz contraction

    • The mass and density increases

    • The mass of the speeding block of wood increases, and the volume decreases because Lorentz contraction decreases the object’s length. We know that density=mass/volume, and if the mass increases and volume decreases, the object’s density will increase.

    • The motion of the block would create lorentz contractions which would decrease the length towards the direction of motion and thus decrease the over all volume of the moving block. There would be increase in mass due to the motion of the object near the speed of light. and thus creating an increase in density .

    • The density of the moving block is greater than the one at rest.

      This structural question shows a need to prepare ahead for change of state.

      The ball on the end of the lance becomes more dense. The block of wood becomes more dense.

      Impact critical mass alters with density, as things going faster become tougher.

      Length contraction reveals density agrees to a smaller block, but not a smaller weight. Relativistic mass is an altered mass, requiring structural integrity questions.

      This is a CERN question, attempting to both smoothe the flow of material but to also recognize state changes while doing this.

      Mass over volume, what used to be 10 kg/l now become the ♾ infinite sign of kg/l as mass approaching the speed of light goes infinite.

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    • the block in motion would be denser as its length would be Lorentz contracted while maintaining all mass.

    • Based on special relativity, the density of the moving block of wood would appear to be higher compared to the stationary block of wood as observed by an observer at rest relative to the stationary block.
      According to special relativity, as an object approaches the speed of light, its mass appears to increase, and its length appears to contract in the direction of motion. This phenomenon is known as relativistic mass increase and length contraction or Lorentz contraction.
      When the block of wood is set in motion and sped by the stationary block, its mass will be greater compared to its rest mass. At the same time, it will undergo length contraction along its direction of motion. It means that the moving block of wood would appear shorter compared to the stationary block when observed by an observer at rest relative to the stationary block. It arises due to the relative velocity between the stationary and moving blocks. As a result, the moving block’s dimensions along the direction of motion would be reduced, leading to a decrease in its volume.
      As a result, the mass of the moving block of wood will increase, and its volume will decrease. Therefore, the ratio of mass to volume, which defines density, will be higher for the moving block than the stationary block, as observed by an observer at rest relative to the stationary block.

    • From the perspective of the moving block the mass would increase while the volume would decrease this causing a lorentz contraction causing the density to increase too.

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