Can Force Change Mass w/ Constant Velocity?

In summary, if a body has a net force acting on it, it will gain energy without gaining momentum. This will cause both its relativistic and invariant mass to increase.
  • #1
hackhard
183
15
can a resultant external force on a body change its mass but keep velocity of its centre of mass constant ? Is it practically possible -
##\vec{F}_{ext}=\vec{v}_{com}\frac{\mathrm{d} M}{\mathrm{d} t}##
where F is nonzero
 
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  • #2
hackhard said:
can a resultant external force on a body change its mass
If the mass is increasing by picking up stuff of different velocity, a force is required to keep velocity constant.
 
  • #3
A.T. said:
If the mass is increasing by picking up stuff of different velocity, a force is required to keep velocity constant.
no body isn't picking up things. mass increases due to relativistic speed
 
  • #4
hackhard said:
no body isn't picking up things. mass increases due to relativistic speed
Then you would be wise to rewrite the equation since an object's [invariant] mass does not increase due to relativistic speed.
 
  • #5
hackhard said:
mass increases due to relativistic speed
You said the velocity is constant.
 
  • #7
Dale said:
Relativistic mass is a deprecated concept.
Regardless of that, even "relativistic mass" doesn't increase when velocity is constant.
 
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Likes Dale
  • #8
hackhard said:
no body isn't picking up things. mass increases due to relativistic speed

A resultant external force and constant velocity of the center of mass without mass exchange? I'm afraid that's impossible.
 
  • #9
DrStupid said:
I'm afraid that's impossible.
i just needed to know that
 
  • #10
hackhard said:
can a resultant external force on a body change its mass but keep velocity of its centre of mass constant ? Is it practically possible -
##\vec{F}_{ext}=\vec{v}_{com}\frac{\mathrm{d} M}{\mathrm{d} t}##
where F is nonzero

If the net force on a body is nonzero, it must accelerate, therefore the velocity of its center of mass will not be constant if a net force is present.

It is possible to have a pair of opposing forces acting on different parts of a distributed body (which is not a single particle). If this pair of forces is doing net work on the body, the body will gain energy without gaining momentum, which implies that both its relativistic and invariant mass of the body will increase. Note that the energy needs to be stored somewhere, for instance by heating the body (which is due to internal vibrations of its molecules). Usually there is some limit on how much energy a realistic body can absorb in this manner - for instance, if you imagine that the pair of forces is turning a wheel agains some brake drums, the wheel and brakes will heat up, and eventually they'll fail.
 

Related to Can Force Change Mass w/ Constant Velocity?

1. Can force change the mass of an object at a constant velocity?

No, force itself does not change the mass of an object. Mass is a measure of the amount of matter in an object and is constant for a given object. However, force can affect the acceleration of an object, which could in turn change its velocity.

2. How does Newton's Second Law relate to force and mass?

Newton's Second Law states that the force acting on an object is equal to the mass of the object multiplied by its acceleration. This means that the greater the force applied to an object, the greater its acceleration will be. However, the mass of the object remains constant.

3. Can an object have a constant velocity if there is a net force acting on it?

No, according to Newton's First Law of Motion, an object will only have a constant velocity if there is no net force acting on it. If there is a net force, the object will either accelerate or decelerate.

4. How does the concept of inertia relate to force and mass?

Inertia is the tendency of an object to resist changes in its motion. The greater the mass of an object, the greater its inertia. This means that a larger force is needed to change the velocity of an object with a greater mass compared to an object with a smaller mass.

5. Can the mass of an object change while it is moving at a constant velocity?

No, the mass of an object is constant and cannot change while it is in motion. The only way for an object's mass to change is through adding or removing matter from it, which would cause a change in its velocity.

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