Everybody knows about E = mc2. It is the most famous equation by Albert Einstein, a great mind. The equation has important scientific meaning. But have you ever wondered what it means?
The equation means, “Mass multiplied by the speed of light squared equals energy.” Okay, let’s put this in simpler words.
On the most fundamental level, the equation states that energy and mass are interchangeable; they are various signs of the same thing. Energy may become mass and vice versa under the appropriate conditions. However, we don’t view them that way (how can a light beam and walnut, for example, be different manifestations of the same thing? But nature does.
So why would you have to multiply the mass of that walnut by the speed of light to figure out how much energy it contains? The reason for this is that whenever you convert a portion of walnut or any other bit of matter to pure energy, the ensuing energy is, by definition, travelling at the speed of light. Pure energy is electromagnetic radiation, whether light or X-rays and electromagnetic radiation travels at a constant speed of 300,000 km per sec.
Finally, why do you need to square the speed of light? It has something to do with the nature of energy. When something moves four times as fast as anything else, it has 16 times the energy. In other words, that figure is squared. So the conversion factor that determines how much energy is contained within a walnut or any other chunk of material is the speed of light squared. Because the speed of light squared is such a large number—90,000,000,000 (km/sec) 2—the quantity of energy packed into even the tiniest mass is mind-boggling.
Here’s a simple example: If you could convert every atom in a paper clip into pure energy, leaving no mass behind, the paper clip would produce 18 kilotons of TNT. That’s about the size of the bomb that annihilated Hiroshima in 1945. However, there is no practical way to turn a paper clip or any other object completely into energy on Earth. Temperatures and pressures higher than those seen at the core of our sun would be required.
Read Further:
- Albert Einstein – Wikipedia
- Albert Einstein Biographical – Nobel Prize
- The 30 Most Famous Quotes by Albert Einstein
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