Re: Where is the potential energy stored?

On Jan 28, 7:16 am, Phil Gardner <pej...@xxxxxxxxxxx> wrote:
If we add energy, E, to a stationary ground state atom of mass, M, to
produce an excited state the mass of the atom is increased to M + E/
c^2. We all accept that the added potential energy is stored within
the atom.

If we add energy, E, to a spring by compressing it the mass of the
spring is increased by E/c^2. We all accept that the added potential
energy is stored within the atom.

But if we add energy, E, to a body or to an excited atom by moving it
to a higher gravitational potential nearly everyone rejects this mass
increase interpretation and asserts instead that the potential energy
added is stored somewhere external to the body or atom in the
gravitational field.

They presumably assert also that in any conversion of part of the
added potential energy to kinetic energy with no change of
gravitational potential, eg by the excited atom dropping to a lower
energy state, the observed increase in the energy of the photon
emitted is somehow extracted from the gravitational field.
Or do they?

Phil Gardner

Are you drawing your system boundaries appropriately?

Atom plus stimulus to higher energy state
= [nucleus] plus [electron in higher orbit] (speaking "Bohr-ingly")

The equivalent for the gravitational system is particle in a
gravitational well
= [gravitational source ( corresponding to the nucleus in the atomic
situation)] plus [particle in higher gravitational state
( corresponding to the electron in the higher "orbit"/position)]

So in both cases the additional PE is within the full system

Same difference - no?

PE (lol!)

.

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