Abstract
One of the most widespread interpretations of the mass-energy equivalence establishes that not only can mass be transformed into energy but that every type of energy also has mass (via the mass-energy equivalence formula\(m = {\cal E}/c^2\)). Here, we show that this is not always the case. With a simple thought experiment, we show that, for instance, the electric potential energy of a charged capacitor should not contribute to the capacitor's rest mass (while still contributing to its linear momentum).
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