Lets suppose the Earth weighs 100,000 lbs. (just follow along).
I want to build a car from raw materials. The car will weigh 4000 lbs.
Does the the weight of the Earth change at that point or do the materials of the car equal the final weight of the car?
Same with humans. A baby weighs 10lbs at birth but when grown is 250lbs.
I suppose my question is that is the Earth’s weight a set weight or does is fluxuate barring any meteors an space junk.
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In your example, the car weighs a considerable percentage of the earth’s weight. In reality, all the products of the world weigh 0.00000001% of the earth’s mass, and because the earth’s mass is only known with 99.9% accuracy, it won’t affect the mass that we observe.
In your example, the car weighs a considerable percentage of the earth’s weight. In reality, all the products of the world weigh 0.00000001% of the earth’s mass, and because the earth’s mass is only known with 99.9% accuracy, it won’t affect the mass that we observe.
So lets assume the Earth is an isolated system, no space debris fall onto it and no material leaves. In that case conservation of matter applies. So no matter when you take a look at Earth its mass will be the same.
But the Earth isn’t an isolated system. Space debris do end up increasing the mass and some stuff leaves like rockets we shoot into space. Or low density gases escaping from the top of the atmosphere like helium.
So lets assume the Earth is an isolated system, no space debris fall onto it and no material leaves. In that case conservation of matter applies. So no matter when you take a look at Earth its mass will be the same.
But the Earth isn’t an isolated system. Space debris do end up increasing the mass and some stuff leaves like rockets we shoot into space. Or low density gases escaping from the top of the atmosphere like helium.
Everything on earth is “earth weight”.
If a chunk of earth is knocked off by a meteor and flies off into space, earth obviously lost some mass. A piece of it went to space.
If a human digs a chunk of rocks, processes it, makes it into a rocket amd sends it off to space, earth lost mass too.
But a human on the surface on the earth counts towards it gravitationally attracting the moon just like the rocks do. A very very very negligible part of earth’s total mass, but so is every single atom that makes it up. The moon doesn’t care if this particular bunch of atoms is magma near the core or a kid at school. Both have mass and exert gravity.
A space rock falling down to earth is now a rock on earth. It added mass to the earth.
The only context in which this question makes sense is if you’re thinking of gravitational attraction of an individual thing by the earth. A human on the other side of the planet is “earth weight” from your perspective, just like mountain is. Or a burger.
If you eat that burger and jump up, you’ve technically taken some mass away from earth within your body. But from the perspective of that person on the other side of the planet, unless you can jump so hard you leave earth’s orbit, you and the burger are still “earth weight”.
Everything on earth is “earth weight”.
If a chunk of earth is knocked off by a meteor and flies off into space, earth obviously lost some mass. A piece of it went to space.
If a human digs a chunk of rocks, processes it, makes it into a rocket amd sends it off to space, earth lost mass too.
But a human on the surface on the earth counts towards it gravitationally attracting the moon just like the rocks do. A very very very negligible part of earth’s total mass, but so is every single atom that makes it up. The moon doesn’t care if this particular bunch of atoms is magma near the core or a kid at school. Both have mass and exert gravity.
A space rock falling down to earth is now a rock on earth. It added mass to the earth.
The only context in which this question makes sense is if you’re thinking of gravitational attraction of an individual thing by the earth. A human on the other side of the planet is “earth weight” from your perspective, just like mountain is. Or a burger.
If you eat that burger and jump up, you’ve technically taken some mass away from earth within your body. But from the perspective of that person on the other side of the planet, unless you can jump so hard you leave earth’s orbit, you and the burger are still “earth weight”.
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Thank you. makes sense now.
Always wondered about this.
Thank you. makes sense now.
Always wondered about this.
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