Does data weigh anything?

bledd · 16 Apr 2009 at 11:56

^burnsy rumbled for hotlinking!

Burnsy2023 · 16 Apr 2009 at 11:58

skolem said:
Meh - true!

Still interesting to think about in a wider sense

Also, your post doesn't hold true for recordable media only factory stamped discs.

Bucket · 16 Apr 2009 at 12:01

So it does change in mass, but it isn't enough change for a person to notice the difference between before and after, as an electrons mass is so tiny.

Mobius 1 · 16 Apr 2009 at 12:05

didnt art lebedev create a memory pen that self expanded when more data was put on it? i dont know if it ever went in production

it was a little orange ball shaped sort of thing.

Burnsy2023 · 16 Apr 2009 at 12:06

Bucket said:
So it does change in mass, but it isn't enough change for a person to notice the difference between before and after, as an electrons mass is so tiny.

It's not even measurable, let alone noticable to a human.

Zip · 16 Apr 2009 at 12:09

I never did understand Binery and how it works

D D Danneh · 16 Apr 2009 at 12:10

skolem said:
Not so stupid:

http://electronics.howstuffworks.com/cd3.htm

Surely the data on a CD will affect the weight, as the number of bumps / pits is going to affect the mass.

Not necessarily. When the CD is pressed, nothing is lost, it's just changed shape. It's like the difference between corrugated iron and a flat sheet of iron.

D D Danneh · 16 Apr 2009 at 12:24

skolem said:
Hmm indeed, you may well be right!

What is the actual process that occurs when you 'burn' a CD-R, and does this differ with CD-RWs? Could this affect the mass?

My will to google it myself fails me...

http://computer.howstuffworks.com/cd-burner4.htm

Basically burns one of the layers. It doesn't burn it off though, it just makes it change state, so again, nothing is lost. I don't know about burning CD-R's though, I'd assume if it's non-rewritable then that means that the layer is burnt off completely, so it probably would lose mass.

Burnsy2023 · 16 Apr 2009 at 12:25

D D Danneh said:
I don't know about burning CD-R's though, I'd assume if it's non-rewritable then that means that the layer is burnt off completely, so it probably would lose mass.

Doesn't burn a layer off just changed its light reflectiveness.

mattyj1085 · 16 Apr 2009 at 12:25

Mat said:
Does the lightswitch on your wall get heavier when you switch it on?

maybe - could attract a fly to sit on it

Marky · 16 Apr 2009 at 12:27

DezUk said:
Ok this might sound daft and well it is totally daft but I am gonna post it anyway

My mate sent me a text last night with a really weird and random thought and it did make me wonder. He asked me what I thought about this idea…

“When a memory stick or card or any flash memory device for that matter is full, does it get any heavier?”

I haven’t tried searching Google on this, my first thought was to stick it on here and see what everyone else thought

/facepalm

D D Danneh · 16 Apr 2009 at 12:30

Burnsy2023 said:
Doesn't burn a layer off just changed its light reflectiveness.

Yeah I re-read the article. I thought that happened with CD-RW's, but it's both, and for some reason CD-R's aren't rewritable (probably due to using a different substance for the layers).

Voltar · 16 Apr 2009 at 12:31

I don't think it's daft per se. But it is an extremely small amount so may as well not weigh anything imho.
GD can be a great place to get opinion/fact (why I love it)

Marky · 16 Apr 2009 at 12:33

Voltar said:
I don't think it's daft per se. But it is an extremely small amount so may as well not weigh anything imho.
GD can be a great place to get opinion/fact (why I love it)

No physical changes are made to the flash... therefore it will weigh 100% the same as if it were full or empty.

Voltar · 16 Apr 2009 at 12:34

Marky said:
No physical changes are made to the flash... therefore it will weigh 100% the same as if it were full or empty.

I stand corrected, but did think that there was a difference somewhere- as in 0.000000000000000000x

Burnsy2023 · 16 Apr 2009 at 12:36

Marky said:
No physical changes are made to the flash... therefore it will weigh 100% the same as if it were full or empty.

Actually, like has been said above, you do need more electrons to store data, so it does gain weight, but that amount is tiny.

MikeHunt79 · 16 Apr 2009 at 12:37

skolem said:
Not so stupid:

http://electronics.howstuffworks.com/cd3.htm

Surely the data on a CD will affect the weight, as the number of bumps / pits is going to affect the mass.

That's pretty cool, I didn't know that...

uber soldat · 16 Apr 2009 at 12:38

Oh my god, just oh my god. :rolleyes: