Inertia negation
Encyclopedia
Inertia negation is a hypothetical process causing physical objects with mass
to act as if they were of lower mass or were massless. The effect is the opposite of adding ballast
, and does not exist in the real world. There is currently no known material or technology that is able to eliminate or negate the effects of inertia
that all known types of mass
possess.
According to Newton's first law, "A body will continue in its state of rest or of uniform motion in a straight line, unless compelled to change that state by a net force". Inertia
is the resistance against changes in the motion of an object. Objects within objects each possess their own inertia, and will collide with each other when the containing object is moved.
A device that would be capable of inertia negation is described as being capable of reducing the inertia of both the larger containing object, and of all contained objects within, so as to make changes in motion easier, and to reduce or prevent damage due to internal collisions. The inertia is not absorbed or redirected but simply ceases to have a physical effect.
The results of using such a device may have significant unforeseeable consequences. If the device completely negates motion in space, the affected object or area would appear to move very fast to outside observers. This is in part because of Earth's rotation and its orbit around the sun
, the rotation and velocity of the galaxy
or an unmeasurable movement of the entire universe
. In addition, it is impossible to determine how the object or area would be affected, if at all, by time dilation
.
Antimatter
, while being the opposite of matter
, would still have inertia with the forces oriented in the same direction as normal matter. Storing antimatter on-board a vehicle made of matter would not counter the inertial effects of the mass that constitutes the vehicle.
, which are real devices but have a completely different purpose.
, and which would cause passengers to be thrown against walls and crushed by the inertial effects of the vehicle suddenly accelerating or slowing.
Such device does not need to negate or alter inertia - a similar effect can be achieved by creating a gravitational field opposing the acceleration of the vessel. Such technology, while still nonexistent is by far more realistic than manipulating inertial mass.
Inertial dampers also appeared in later episodes of Stargate SG-1
and in the series Stargate Atlantis
.
Mass
Mass can be defined as a quantitive measure of the resistance an object has to change in its velocity.In physics, mass commonly refers to any of the following three properties of matter, which have been shown experimentally to be equivalent:...
to act as if they were of lower mass or were massless. The effect is the opposite of adding ballast
Ballast
-Objects:* Ballast tank, a device used on ships and submarines and other submersibles to control buoyancy and stability* Ballast weights, metallic plates used to bring auto racing vehicles up to the minimum mandated weight...
, and does not exist in the real world. There is currently no known material or technology that is able to eliminate or negate the effects of inertia
Inertia
Inertia is the resistance of any physical object to a change in its state of motion or rest, or the tendency of an object to resist any change in its motion. It is proportional to an object's mass. The principle of inertia is one of the fundamental principles of classical physics which are used to...
that all known types of mass
Mass
Mass can be defined as a quantitive measure of the resistance an object has to change in its velocity.In physics, mass commonly refers to any of the following three properties of matter, which have been shown experimentally to be equivalent:...
possess.
According to Newton's first law, "A body will continue in its state of rest or of uniform motion in a straight line, unless compelled to change that state by a net force". Inertia
Inertia
Inertia is the resistance of any physical object to a change in its state of motion or rest, or the tendency of an object to resist any change in its motion. It is proportional to an object's mass. The principle of inertia is one of the fundamental principles of classical physics which are used to...
is the resistance against changes in the motion of an object. Objects within objects each possess their own inertia, and will collide with each other when the containing object is moved.
A device that would be capable of inertia negation is described as being capable of reducing the inertia of both the larger containing object, and of all contained objects within, so as to make changes in motion easier, and to reduce or prevent damage due to internal collisions. The inertia is not absorbed or redirected but simply ceases to have a physical effect.
The results of using such a device may have significant unforeseeable consequences. If the device completely negates motion in space, the affected object or area would appear to move very fast to outside observers. This is in part because of Earth's rotation and its orbit around the sun
Earth's orbit
In astronomy, the Earth's orbit is the motion of the Earth around the Sun, at an average distance of about 150 million kilometers, every 365.256363 mean solar days .A solar day is on average 24 hours; it takes 365.256363 of these to orbit the sun once in the sense of returning...
, the rotation and velocity of the galaxy
Milky Way
The Milky Way is the galaxy that contains the Solar System. This name derives from its appearance as a dim un-resolved "milky" glowing band arching across the night sky...
or an unmeasurable movement of the entire universe
Shape of the Universe
The shape of the universe is a matter of debate in physical cosmology over the local and global geometry of the universe which considers both curvature and topology, though, strictly speaking, it goes beyond both...
. In addition, it is impossible to determine how the object or area would be affected, if at all, by time dilation
Time dilation
In the theory of relativity, time dilation is an observed difference of elapsed time between two events as measured by observers either moving relative to each other or differently situated from gravitational masses. An accurate clock at rest with respect to one observer may be measured to tick at...
.
Antimatter
Antimatter
In particle physics, antimatter is the extension of the concept of the antiparticle to matter, where antimatter is composed of antiparticles in the same way that normal matter is composed of particles...
, while being the opposite of matter
Matter
Matter is a general term for the substance of which all physical objects consist. Typically, matter includes atoms and other particles which have mass. A common way of defining matter is as anything that has mass and occupies volume...
, would still have inertia with the forces oriented in the same direction as normal matter. Storing antimatter on-board a vehicle made of matter would not counter the inertial effects of the mass that constitutes the vehicle.
Inertia negation in fiction
Inertia negation is a commonplace technology in the fictional Star Trek universe, but are incorrectly described as inertia dampersInertia damper
An inertia damper is a device that counters or damps the effects of inertia and other forces and motion. The damper does not negate the forces but either absorbs or redirects them by other means...
, which are real devices but have a completely different purpose.
Inertial damper as shock absorber
Inertia negation is used to counter the effects of sudden acceleration that would impart structural stresses on star ships when suddenly accelerating to or decelerating with the impulse driveImpulse drive
In the fictional Star Trek universe, the impulse drive is the method of propulsion that starships and other spacecraft use when they are travelling below the speed of light. Typically powered by deuterium fusion reactors, impulse engines let ships travel interplanetary distances readily...
, and which would cause passengers to be thrown against walls and crushed by the inertial effects of the vehicle suddenly accelerating or slowing.
Such device does not need to negate or alter inertia - a similar effect can be achieved by creating a gravitational field opposing the acceleration of the vessel. Such technology, while still nonexistent is by far more realistic than manipulating inertial mass.
Inertial dampers also appeared in later episodes of Stargate SG-1
Stargate SG-1
Stargate SG-1 is a Canadian-American adventure and military science fiction television series and part of Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer's Stargate franchise. The show, created by Brad Wright and Jonathan Glassner, is based on the 1994 feature film Stargate by Dean Devlin and Roland Emmerich...
and in the series Stargate Atlantis
Stargate Atlantis
Stargate Atlantis is a Canadian-American adventure and military science fiction television series and part of MGM's Stargate franchise. The show was created by Brad Wright and Robert C. Cooper as a spin-off series of Stargate SG-1, which was created by Wright and Jonathan Glassner and was itself...
.
External links
- Inertial damper at Memory Alpha, the Star Trek wiki