Question

According to Einstein, the mass of an object increases as its speed increases. This increase in mass comes from :

• A. nuclear binding energy.
• B. electron energy in the ground state.
• C. potential energy being converted into mass by $E=m{c}^2$
• D. kinetic energy being converted into mass by $E=m{c}^2$
• E. the lower pressure on the mass.

Answer 1

Answer: (D)

kinetic energy being converted into mass by $E=m{c}^2$

Relativistic mass of a moving object $m=\frac{m_o}{\sqrt{1-v^2/c^2}}$ where $m_o$ is the rest mass

$⟹$ $m>m_o$ for $v>0$. Hence the mass of moving object increases.

Using Einstein's mass-energy equivalence, $E=m{c}^2$

This states that the energy can be converted into mass and vice versa.

Hence the kinetic energy gets converted into the mass.