Mass change in an atom

[qazibasit]

Well if e=mc2 then mass of an atom should be change when the electrons change their orbit releasing energy because the mass is converting into energy.

[Radical Edward]

Well if e=mc2 then mass of an atom should be change when the electrons change their orbit releasing energy because the mass is converting into energy.

 

a little bit, yeap. the calculation does however have a ridiculously tiny number divided by a ridiculously large one.

[swansont]

a little bit, yeap. the calculation does however have a ridiculously tiny number divided by a ridiculously large one.

 

Wouldn't the "ridiculously" cancel out, then?

 

c² is almost 1 GeV, and electron transitions are of order 1 eV, so the mass change is (very) roughly a part in 10⁹

[Martin]

 

c² is almost 1 GeV' date=' ...[/quote']

 

holy smoke swanson

you are obviously a working physicist

nobody else can be so casual

 

more straightlaced folks would say that

Mc² is almost 1 GeV,

where M is the mass of a proton

 

or of a hydrogen atom, which is pretty much the same thing

 

and be a bit timid about equating c², which is the

square of a velocity, with an energy.

 

but for sure one billionth is the right order of magnitude!

that's what matters

[swansont]

c=h=1 for a lot of folks I know...

[Martin]

c=h=1 for a lot of folks I know...

 

Go Planck!

 

just one little constant more and its c=hbar=G=1