Mechanical Properties of the Electric Field: A Novel Prediction derived from the Field's Mass and Stress

TL;DR

This paper proposes an experiment to test whether electric fields possess mechanical properties like mass and stress by observing a charged pendulum's behavior within a combined electric field.

Contribution

It introduces a novel experimental approach to distinguish between two interpretations of electric field reality, focusing on their mechanical properties.

Findings

Predicted shift in pendulum's center of mass if field has mechanical properties

Potential empirical distinction between field interpretations

Implications for classical, quantum, and relativistic electromagnetism

Abstract

An experiment is proposed which can distinguish between two approaches to the reality of the electric field, and whether it has mechanical properties such as mass and stress. A charged pendulum swings within the field of a much larger charge. The two fields manifest the familiar apparent curvature of their field-lines, "bent" so as not to cross each other. If this phenomenon is real, the pendulum's center of mass must be proportionately shifted according to its lines' curvature. This prediction has no precise counterpart in the conventional interpretation, where this curvature is a mere superposition of the two fields' crossing lines. This empirical distinction, meriting test in itself, further bears on several unresolved issues in classical, quantum and relativistic electromagnetism.