The amount of solar energy reaching one square meter of Earths surface each second is 1.366x103 joules. If this energy was converted into mass, how mcuh mass (in kilograms) would be hitting each square meter of Earth's surface per second?

Question

The amount of solar energy reaching one square meter of Earths  surface each second is 1.366x103 joules. If this energy was converted into mass, how mcuh mass (in kilograms) would be hitting each square meter of Earth's surface per second?

anonymous · Answer

What do you mean "if"?  Energy IS the same thing as mass.  If the Earth were continually absorbing energy from the Sun, it would be continually gaining mass.  To gain energy is exactly the same as gaining mass.  That's what Einstein told us.  (In fact the Earth is not continually gaining energy, because all the sunlight that hits the Earth is re-emitted as heat.)

The answer to your question is found in the formula that tells you how to convert mass units into energy units: E = m c^2, where c is the speed of light.   In your case 1.366 x 10^3 J / c^2 = 1.520 x 10^-11 g, so that is the mass that his hitting each square meter of the Earth's surface per second.