Drive Einstein's
mass energy relationand
discuss it give some evidence showing it
Answers
Explanation:
E = mc2, equation in German-born physicist Albert Einstein’s theory of special relativity that expresses the fact that mass and energy are the same physical entity and can be changed into each other. In the equation, the increased relativistic mass (m) of a body times the speed of light squared (c2) is equal to the kinetic energy (E) of that body.
00:02
02:45
E = mc2
QUICK FACTS
KEY PEOPLE
Albert Einstein
RELATED TOPICS
Mass
Kinetic energy
Special relativity
Speed of light
Mass-energy equivalence
In physical theories prior to that of special relativity, mass and energy were viewed as distinct entities. Furthermore, the energy of a body at rest could be assigned an arbitrary value. In special relativity, however, the energy of a body at rest is determined to be mc2. Thus, each body of rest mass m possesses mc2 of “rest energy,” which potentially is available for conversion to other forms of energy. The mass-energy relation, moreover, implies that, if energy is released from the body as a result of such a conversion, then the rest mass of the body will decrease. Such a conversion of rest energy to other forms of energy occurs in ordinary chemical reactions, but much larger conversions occur in nuclear reactions. This is particularly true in the case of nuclear fusion reactions that transform hydrogen to helium, in which 0.7 percent of the original rest energy of the hydrogen is converted to other forms of energy. Stars like the Sun shine from the energy released from the rest energy of hydrogen atoms that are fused to form helium.
Sidney Perkowitz
The Editors of Encyclopaedia Britannica
LEARN MORE in these related Britannica articles:
Figure 1: Data in the table of the Galileo experiment. The tangent to the curve is drawn at t = 0.6.
principles of physical science: Conservation of mass-energy
…his special theory of relativity; E = mc2 expresses...…
Large Hadron Collider
physical science: Einstein’s 1905 trilogy
…with the mass-increase effect is Einstein’s famous formula E = mc2:...…
visible spectrum of light
light: Fundamental constant of nature
In the famous relativity equation, E = mc2, the...…
newsletter icon
HISTORY AT YOUR FINGERTIPS
Sign up here to see what happened On This Day, every day in your inbox!
Email address
Email address
By signing up, you agree to our Privacy Notice.
Explanation:
E = mc2, equation in German-born physicist Albert Einstein’s theory of special relativity that expresses the fact that mass and energy are the same physical entity and can be changed into each other. In the equation, the increased relativistic mass (m) of a body times the speed of light squared (c2) is equal to the kinetic energy (E) of that body.
00:02
02:45
E = mc2
QUICK FACTS
KEY PEOPLE
Albert Einstein
RELATED TOPICS
Mass
Kinetic energy
Special relativity
Speed of light
Mass-energy equivalence
In physical theories prior to that of special relativity, mass and energy were viewed as distinct entities. Furthermore, the energy of a body at rest could be assigned an arbitrary value. In special relativity, however, the energy of a body at rest is determined to be mc2. Thus, each body of rest mass m possesses mc2 of “rest energy,” which potentially is available for conversion to other forms of energy. The mass-energy relation, moreover, implies that, if energy is released from the body as a result of such a conversion, then the rest mass of the body will decrease. Such a conversion of rest energy to other forms of energy occurs in ordinary chemical reactions, but much larger conversions occur in nuclear reactions. This is particularly true in the case of nuclear fusion reactions that transform hydrogen to helium, in which 0.7 percent of the original rest energy of the hydrogen is converted to other forms of energy. Stars like the Sun shine from the energy released from the rest energy of hydrogen atoms that are fused to form helium.
Sidney Perkowitz
The Editors of Encyclopaedia Britannica
LEARN MORE in these related Britannica articles:
Figure 1: Data in the table of the Galileo experiment. The tangent to the curve is drawn at t = 0.6.
principles of physical science: Conservation of mass-energy
his special theory of relativity; E = mc2 expresses.
Large Hadron Collider
physical science: Einstein’s 1905 trilogy
with the mass-increase effect is Einstein’s famous formula E = mc2:
visible spectrum of light
light: Fundamental constant of nature
In the famous relativity equation, E = mc2,