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Blenton
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Since each day we are illuminated by the sun, plants convert that energy into glucose etc does this indicate an increase in mass of the Earth if losses due to heat radiating out and gains such as meteors are ignored?
mgb_phys said:Plants don't convert sunlight into food by E=mc^2
The cellulose and plant structure should weigh less than the constituent CO2 and H2O, but the difference is going to be very small, probably in the ppb range since the bond energies are on the order of eV, not MeV or GeV.Xnn said:So, the real question is if CH2O and O2 weigh more than CO2 and H2O.
Will have to check this out later...
Astronuc said:The cellulose and plant structure should weigh less than the constituent CO2 and H2O, but the difference is going to be very small, probably in the ppb range since the bond energies are on the order of eV, not MeV or GeV.
The mass of Earth increases due to the accumulation of various materials such as dust, gas, and meteorites. This process is known as accretion and has been ongoing since the formation of our planet about 4.6 billion years ago.
Human activity can have a significant impact on the mass of Earth. Deforestation, mining, and burning fossil fuels all release carbon into the atmosphere, which contributes to the planet's overall mass. Additionally, human activities such as space exploration can also add to the mass of Earth by bringing back materials from other celestial bodies.
Yes, the mass of Earth is constantly increasing. As mentioned earlier, the process of accretion is ongoing, and new materials are constantly being added to the planet. However, the rate of increase is relatively slow compared to the overall mass of Earth.
Yes, the mass of Earth can decrease. This can happen through natural processes such as asteroid impacts or volcanic eruptions, which eject material into space. Human activities such as sending spacecraft out of Earth's orbit can also result in a slight decrease in the planet's overall mass.
The increase in Earth's mass does not have a significant effect on its orbit. This is because the mass of the planet is much larger than any additional materials that are added to it. The Earth's orbit is primarily determined by the gravitational pull of the sun, as well as the other planets in our solar system.