Synthesized answer
Based solely on the provided passages, Lewis's 1908 paper reflects the broader conceptual revolution by directly challenging the Newtonian mechanics of ponderable matter, which had "remained unaltered since the time of Newton" [1]. The revolution is driven by recent experiments showing a change in the mass of an electron with speed and the phenomenon of radioactivity, which created doubt about the validity of some general laws of nature [2]. Lewis responds by constructing a new system of mechanics that is consistent with these new facts while still resting on the three great conservation laws [2].
The previously held assumption being challenged is that mass is a constant, independent of velocity. Lewis's new system shows that "the mass of a body is a function of the velocity and becomes infinite at the velocity of light" [3]. Furthermore, the passages indicate a potential integration of mass and energy, suggesting that "mass and energy [are] different names and different measures of the same quantity" [5]. This is derived from the idea that any change in a body's energy content is accompanied by a definite change in its mass [5]. The passages do not, however, detail any other…
Synthesized from the book passages below. Chat with the book on Feynman for follow-up.
From the book
← A revision of the Fundamental Laws of Matter and Energy ( 1908 ) by Gilbert Newton Lewis → related portals : Relativity Philosophical Magazine, 1908, 6 16 (95): 705-717, Online 412006 A revision of the Fundamental Laws of Matter and Energy 1908 Gilbert Newton Lewis THE LONDON, EDINBURGH, AND DUBLIN PHILOSOPHICAL MAGAZINE AND JOURNAL OF SCIENCE. [SIXTH SERIES.] NOVEMBER 1908. LIX. A Revision of the Fundamental Laws of matter and Energy. By Gilbert N. Lewis . Ph.D., Associate Professor of Physical Chemistry, Massacussets Institute of Technology, Boston . R ECENT publications of Einstein and…
ose fundamental principles of the mechanics of ponderable matter which have remained unaltered since the time of Newton. The recent experiments which indicate a change in the mass of an electron with the speed, together with the phenomenon of radioactivity, have in some minds created a doubt as to the exact validity of some of the most general laws of nature. In the following pages I shall attempt to show that we may construct a simple system of mechanics which is consistent with all known experimental facts, and which rests upon the assumption of the truth of the three great conservation…
an mechanics and assuming the conservation laws of mass, energy, and momentum, a new system of mechanics is constructed. In this system momentum is mv , kinetic energy varies between 1/2 mv² at low velocity and mv² at the velocity of light, while the mass of a body is a function of the velocity and becomes infinite at the velocity of light. The equation obtained agrees with the experiments of Kaufmann on the relation between the mass of an electron and its velocity. It is, moreover, strikingly similar to the equations that have been obtained for electromagnetic mass. The new view leads to an…
thus obtained are more complicated but lead also to the simple equation (7). ↑ Phys. Review, xvii. pp. 26 and 91 (1903). ↑ I was first led to an investigation of the relation of mass to energy by the work of Landolt, on the change of weight in chemical reactions. But it is obvious from equation (7) that although there always will be a loss of mass in a reaction which is accompanied by the evolution of energy, this loss in the case of any ordinary reaction will be far too small to measure. In fact Landolt has very recently shown ( Ber. Berlin. Akad. 1908, p. 354) that when all possible…
nservation law, we must regard mass as a real property of a body which depends upon its state, and not upon its history. Hence it is obvious that if in any other way than by radiation the body gains or loses energy it must still gain or lose mass in just the above proportion. In other words, any change in a body's content of energy is accompanied by a definite change in its mass, regardless of the nature of the process which the energy change accompanies. Since therefore when a body loses a given quantity of energy it always loses a definite quantity of mass, we might assume that if it…
More questions about this book
- Lewis states his intention to "modify those fundamental principles of the mechanics of ponderable matter which have remained unaltered since the time of Newton." Explain in your own words what makes such a drastic revision necessary at this time, citing specific experimental and theoretical advancements mentioned in the text.
- The text suggests that phenomena like "a change in the mass of an electron with the speed" and "radioactivity" created doubt about "the exact validity of some of the most general laws of nature." How might these specific observations *appear* to challenge one or more of the "three great conservation laws" Lewis ultimately seeks to uphold?
- Lewis proposes to build a "simple system of mechanics" consistent with known facts and resting on the conservation laws. Articulate, as if explaining to a peer, the historical significance of *reaffirming* the conservation of mass and energy in 1908, given the scientific landscape described in the excerpt.
- Describe the phenomenon of light pressure and how its experimental verification, combined with the law of conservation of momentum, "inevitably leads" to the conclusion that a beam of light possesses momentum. Why is this particular insight crucial for Lewis's revision of fundamental laws?