Black Holes

[Zorland]

Originally Posted by qujam

The gravitational field of a black hole (hence the reason its black) is so strong it can capture light waves. Due to wave-particle duality, even electromagnetic waves have, at least a theoretical, mass.

Momentum, not mass!

[qujam]

Originally Posted by Zorland

Momentum, not mass!

Surely if they have momentum p = mv implies a theoretical mass

(no symbol font on here so had to use p)

[Zorland]

P=Mv is a large object approximation. The photon momentum is derived from another one of Einstein's equations...

E^2 = (pc)^2 + (mc^2)^2

In the case of a photon (m=0) this reduces to
E=pc

It's pretty crazy, I admit, to think of something with non-zero momentum yet zero mass.

[Jolene]

What I said none existent ketchup p ))

[qujam]

Ah that makes more sense

[Genadine]

How can something exist if it has no mass?

Everything must be made up of something else?

Or is there multiple items that simply 'exist' and we have no clue atm how to prove them?

[Zorland]

Originally Posted by Genadinee

How can something exist if it has no mass?

Everything must be made up of something else?

Or is there multiple items that simply 'exist' and we have no clue atm how to prove them?

This is a very good question. Why do some particles have mass and yet others don't? In the current theory of particle physics (the standard model) it is the Higgs Field (which is two words for a lot of fancy math). Are we certain this is the way it works? No! We have yet to see the Higgs boson, which is usually just refered to as the higgs. Where might we see the higgs? We hope in our detectors at the LHC. The higgs search is one of the most interesting parts of the research going on at CERN.