Related papers: The Concept of Mass in the Einstein Year
The concept of mass is central to any theory of gravity. Nevertheless, defining mass in general relativity is a difficult task, and even when it can be accomplished, we still need to investigate whether the typical properties of mass in…
In this article the concept of mass is analyzed based on the special and general relativity theories and particle (quantum) physics. The mass of a particle (m=E(0)/c^2) is determined by the minimum (rest) energy to create that particle…
Our concept of mass has evolved considerably over the centuries, most notably from Newton to Einstein, and then even more vigorously with the establishment of the standard model and the subsequent discovery of the Higgs boson. Mass is now…
Transparencies of the 18th Henry Primakoff lecture at the University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, USA, April 11, 2001 and of the Special lecture given at the 7th International Workshop on Topics in Astroparticle and Underground Physics,…
The classical view of mass is that it quantifies the amount of substance and is a kinematical parameter. All matter has an attribute of mass and is a conserved quantity in any interaction. With the advent of special relativity, mass became…
Newton introduced the concept of mass in his {\it Principia} and gave an intuitive explanation for what it meant. Centuries have passed and physicists as well as philosophers still argue over its meaning. Three types of mass are generally…
Several attempts to construct theories of gravity with variable mass are considered. The theoretical impacts of allowing the rest mass to vary with respect to time or an appropriate curve parameter are examined in the framework of Newtonian…
A lengthy bibliography of books referring to special and/or general relativity is provided to give a background for discussions on the historical use of the concept of relativistic mass.
We try to understand how particles acquire mass in general, and in particular, how they acquire mass in the standard model and beyond.
Einstein's most famous equation -- $E=mc^2$ -- generated a short-circuit between the concepts of mass and energy, which also affects other concepts like matter, radiation, and vacuum. Physics currently has a mixture of classical,…
We make an attempt to describe the spectrum of masses of elementary particles, as it comes out empirically in six distinct scales. We argue for some rather well defined mass scales, like the electron mass: it seems to us that there is a…
At first sight, arguments for and against the notion of relativistic mass look like a notorious intra-Lilliputian quarrel between Big-Endians (those who broke their eggs at the larger end) and Little-Endians. However, upon closer inspection…
The theoretical motivations, experimental searches/hints, and implications of neutrino mass are surveyed.
Some recollections on the recent history of the concepts of vacuum and mass and the search for higgs. According to the widely spread terminology the Higgs field permeates vacuum and serves as the origin of masses of all fundamental…
Within the past fifteen years the use of the concept of "relativistic mass" has been on the decline and has been replaced by the concept of "proper mass" (aka "rest mass") - ?simply referred to as "mass" and labeled "m" by its proponents.…
The concept of mass was introduced as a mathematical abstraction and unifying principle in physics by Newton in the 17th century, and calibrated on a Solar System scale by Cavendish at the end of the 18th century. In the 19th century, this…
Does the mass of bodies depend on their velocity? Is the mass additive if separate bodies are joined together to form a composite system? Is the mass of an isolated system conserved? Different teachers of physics and specialists give…
For over a century the definitions of mass and derivations of its relation with energy continue to be elaborated, demonstrating that the concept of mass is still not satisfactorily understood. The aim of this study is to show that, starting…
I analyze the meaning of mass in Newtonian mechanics. First, I explain the notion of primitive ontology, which was originally introduced in the philosophy of quantum mechanics. Then I examine the two common interpretations of mass: mass as…
The concept of velocity dependent mass, relativistic mass, is examined and is found to be inconsistent with the geometrical formulation of special relativity. This is not a novel result; however, many continue to use this concept and some…