Does data weigh anything?

D D Danneh · 16 Apr 2009 at 12:40

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

This. But misterPK's post intrigues me. Like I said, I don't know how transistors work. Where do the 'switch' electrons go? Are they just dissipated into the air? I'd assume energy is given off as heat (that's where CPU heat comes from), but the electrons still need to go somewhere.

domthecondom · 16 Apr 2009 at 12:40

0 changes to 1, so not heavier

unless a a one is heavier then a zero

Burnsy2023 · 16 Apr 2009 at 12:42

D D Danneh said:
This. But misterPK's post intrigues me. Like I said, I don't know how transistors work. Where do the 'switch' electrons go? Are they just dissipated into the air? I'd assume energy is given off as heat (that's where CPU heat comes from), but the electrons still need to go somewhere.

Read it up on how suff works. The base current directly influences the amount of voltage from source to drain.

Marky · 16 Apr 2009 at 12:42

Burnsy2023 said:
Actually, like has been said above, you do need more electrons to store data, so it does gain weight, but that amount is tiny.

Hah I suppose if you wanted to be that picky

But each electron weighs:
9.109 382 15(45) × 10-31 kilograms

Burnsy2023 · 16 Apr 2009 at 12:43

domthecondom said:
0 changes to 1, so not heavier unless a a one is heavier then a zero

According to how stuff works, a 0 weighs more than a 1.

http://electronics.howstuffworks.com/flash-memory.htm

Burnsy2023 · 16 Apr 2009 at 12:44

Marky said:
Hah I suppose if you wanted to be that picky

But each electron weighs:
9.109 382 15(45) × 10-31 kilograms

I know, I posted it earlier. Are people ignoring my posts or have I been sent to Coventry?

TheVoice · 16 Apr 2009 at 12:45

What about a battery?

Marky · 16 Apr 2009 at 12:45

Burnsy2023 said:
I know, I posted it earlier. Are people ignoring my posts or have I been sent to Coventry?

Yes.

But to which question... DUM DUM DUUUUM! :eek:

starfighter · 16 Apr 2009 at 12:45

LOL, made me laugh. It is stored by magnetising the disc is it not so no weight really. However what about a CD???

They are "burned" and work by using "pits" and "lands", does a pit weight less?

perhaps it does because it is a hole and if burning them makes these holes then......

lotus7 · 16 Apr 2009 at 13:14

Burnsy2023 said:
Read it up on how suff works. The base current directly influences the amount of voltage from source to drain.

LOL !

Source to drain currents are affected by voltages on gates
on field effect transistors ( MOSFETS).

Base current is amplified between emitter and collector on
pnp or npn transistor devices.

They are two different types of transistor.

Burnsy2023 · 16 Apr 2009 at 13:23

lotus7 said:
LOL !

Source to drain currents are affected by voltages on gates
on field effect transistors ( MOSFETS).

Base current is amplified between emitter and collector on
pnp or npn transistor devices.

They are two different types of transistor.

I knew something didn't sound right. Been a while since I did Alevel electronics

wannabedamned · 16 Apr 2009 at 13:27

ha, So the question wasnt so daft afterall, And data does infact weigh something. Awesome

lotus7 · 16 Apr 2009 at 13:36

Burnsy2023 said:
I knew something didn't sound right. Been a while since I did Alevel electronics

No worries, I worked for 25 years in semiconductor manufacturing and started on non -volatile memories
in the eighties.

To answer the original question, no electrons are added or removed from the IC chip. They just get moved around to create local electric fields that turn a transistor on or off.

So flash memory wont change weight as I understand it.

meghatronic · 16 Apr 2009 at 13:37

panthro said:
Any question asked, not matter how stupid is still worth asking for your own peace of mind.

This.

If we didn't ask dumb questions as children, we'd never learn.

D D Danneh · 16 Apr 2009 at 13:40

meghatronic said:
This.

If we didn't ask dumb questions as children, we'd never learn.

Whyyyyyy?

meghatronic · 16 Apr 2009 at 13:41

D D Danneh said:
Whyyyyyy?

Because.

Unfortunately that was the answer I got frequently as a child from my father. My mother endured rounds of "why?".... "why?"... "but why?".....

Now I'm an adult, I usually get "why not".

something daft already!! · 16 Apr 2009 at 13:42

There are no stupid questions, only people.

Marky · 16 Apr 2009 at 13:46

wannabedamned said:
ha, So the question wasnt so daft afterall, And data does infact weigh something. Awesome

No it still doesn't. It was a stupid question. You're an idiot

neil3k · 16 Apr 2009 at 13:51

He's a robot of course he weighs something