Data Has Weight but Only on SSDs
4 hours ago
- #SSD
- #data-storage
- #physics
- Data has weight, specifically on SSDs, due to electrons being added when storing data.
- SSDs use NAND flash memory with floating gates to trap electrons, representing data bits.
- HDDs store data by flipping magnetic polarity, which doesn't add mass, only rearranges atoms.
- The mass increase in SSDs is extremely small (picograms or femtograms) and practically immeasurable.
- E=mc² implies that powered electronics have slightly more mass due to stored energy.
- This is a fun theoretical discussion rather than a practical concern.