Do Frying Pans Weigh More in the Sun or the Shade?

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In summary, a frying pan at ground level will have more mass than one 500 meters above the ground. This is because the ground level frying pan has more energy due to being closer to the Earth's primary mass. Additionally, due to the effects of time dilation, the frying pan at ground level would have more mass than a frying pan located 500 meters above the ground.
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ƒ(x)
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What weighs more, a frying pan in a dark room, or one that is outside on a sunny day?

Which has more mass, a frying pan in a dark room, or one that is outside on a sunny day?

Which weighs more, a frying pan at ground level or one 500 meters above the ground?

Which has more mass, a frying pan at ground level, or one 500 meters above the ground?
 
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  • #2
Maybe this should be in the physics section. Idk how to move posts though, or rename them...
 
  • #3
they all weigh the same and have same mass.
 
  • #4
Assuming they are the same frying pan, they will always have the same mass.

A frying pan 500m above the Earth will weight slightly less than a frying pan located ON Earth due to the increased distance and therefore slightly lower gravity.

A frying pan (the pan itself) weighs the same in both a dark and closed room; however, if you consider the effects of dust/pollen this may change depending on how dusty your room is! Also, the light from the sun will very very very gently push down on the frying pan, making weight measurements of it very slightly higher, but the frying pan itself doesn't weigh more.
 
  • #5
Hmm...

So, the one outside will have absorbed solar energy. But, since mass and energy are directly related (E=mc2), the mass increases as well--although by a tiny amount.
 
  • #6
ƒ(x) said:
What weighs more, a frying pan in a dark room, or one that is outside on a sunny day?

Sunny day. E=mc2 and energy is mass, so the hotter pan would have more mass. More mass means greater mutual gravitational attraction, therefore, more weight.

Which has more mass, a frying pan in a dark room, or one that is outside on a sunny day?

This question should have preceeded the first. The hot pan has more mass, and mass weighs more. So the sunny day.

Which weighs more, a frying pan at ground level or one 500 meters above the ground?

Ground level, as it's closer to the primary mass (Earth).

Which has more mass, a frying pan at ground level, or one 500 meters above the ground?

No difference (and there's no gravitational mass dilation as there is with time. That I know of...)

On second thought... We know time slows down and mass increases with relative velocity, so if gravitational time dilation holds, would gravitational mass increase hold as well? I'm thinking this may be the difference in Schwarzschild radii we see between rotating and non-rotating BH's, as per http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/File:Mass_Properties.PNG" .

Ok, I'll go out on a limb - the frying pan at ground level has more mass.

Hey, I'm no brainsnot, so if you have different answers and rational justifications, I'm all ears!
 
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FAQ: Do Frying Pans Weigh More in the Sun or the Shade?

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