Eli5: if Energy and mass are equal and transformable to one another, and if the sun is constantly projecting energy on the earth, why isn’t the earth getting heavier and constantly changing its orbit?

Question

Eli5: if Energy and mass are equal and transformable to one another, and if the sun is constantly projecting energy on the earth, why isn’t the earth getting heavier and constantly changing its orbit?

In: 16

Answer 1

The Earth is losing energy faster than it gains it. We also radiate heat into space.

Some gases can slow this process down, known as “greenhouse gases”, and this is why the Earth is getting hotter.

Even if the Earth did get way hotter, the amount of mass increase would be negligibly small.

Last thing: making things heavier doesn’t change their orbit.