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From: sra@oddjob.UUCP (Scott R. Anderson)
Newsgroups: net.physics,net.research,net.misc
Subject: Re: Newman's Energy Machine (2)
Message-ID: <1037@oddjob.UUCP>
Date: Wed, 6-Nov-85 00:34:24 EST
Article-I.D.: oddjob.1037
Posted: Wed Nov  6 00:34:24 1985
Date-Received: Thu, 7-Nov-85 05:16:49 EST
References: <175@tulane.UUCP> <471@iham1.UUCP> <536@talcott.UUCP> <474@iham1.UUCP>
Reply-To: sra@oddjob.UUCP (Scott R. Anderson)
Organization: University of Chicago, Department of Physics
Lines: 18
Xref: watmath net.physics:3502 net.research:319 net.misc:8844
Summary: 

In article <474@iham1.UUCP> gjphw@iham1.UUCP (wyant) writes:
>    Some of the rest mass of the (atomic) nucleus is stored as binding energy
> to overcome the electrostatic or coulomb repulsion.  But this reduces the rest
> mass of the nucleus from its component parts, not increases it.  I remain
> confused...

If the nuclei are infinitely far apart, then there is no interaction between
them, and all that is measured is sum of their rest masses.  When they are
brought (not too) close together to form the nucleus, there is an attractive
interaction between them.  This is the same as saying that the potential
energy of the system has been *reduced*.  Therefore, the total energy of
the nucleus (rest mass + potential energy) has been reduced.  Because
of the equivalence of mass and energy, this total energy is the apparent
mass of the nucleus.
-- 

					Scott Anderson
					ihnp4!oddjob!kaos!sra