How to Understand E=mc2

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In one of Albert Einstein’s revolutionary scientific papers published in 1905, E=mc2 was introduced;
where E is energy, m is mass, and c is the speed of light in a vacuum.[1] Since then, E=mc2 has
become one of the most famous equations in the world. Even people with no background in physics
have at least heard of the equation and are aware of its prodigious influence on the world we live in.
However, most people do not exactly know what the equation means. In simple terms, the equation
represents the correlation of energy to matter: essentially, energy and matter are but two different
forms of the same thing.[2] This relatively simple equation has altered the way we think about energy
and provided us with numerous technological advances.

Part One of Two:

Understanding the Equation

1 Define the variables of the equation. The first step to understanding any equation is to know
what each variable stands for. In this case, E is the energy of an object at rest, m is the
object's mass, and c is the speed of light in vacuum.

The speed of light, c is constant in all reference frames and is roughly equal to 3.00x108
meters per second. In the context of Einstein's relativity, the c2 functions more as a unit
conversion factor than a constant. As such, it is squared as a result of dimensional analysis -
energy is measured in joules, or kg m2 s-2, so adding the c2 ensures that the relationship
between energy and mass is dimensionally consistent.

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2 Understand what is meant by energy. There are many forms of energy including thermal,
electrical, chemical, nuclear and more.[3] Energy is transferred between systems giving
power to one system while taking it away from another.
 Energy can be neither created nor destroyed, it can only take a different form. For example,
coal has a lot of potential energy that turns into thermal energy when it is burned.

3 Define what mass means. Mass is generally defined as the amount of matter in an object.[4]

There are also a few other definitions of mass. There exists "invariant mass," and "relativistic
mass." Invariant mass is mass that remains unchanged no matter what frame of reference
you are in. Relativistic mass, on the other hand, depends on the object's velocity. In the
equation E = mc2, m refers to the invariant mass. This is very important, because this means
that your mass does not grow as you go faster, contrary to popular belief.
It’s important to understand that mass and weight are different. Weight is the gravitational
force felt by an object, while mass is the amount of matter in that object. Mass can only
change if the object is physically altered, while weight changes depending on the gravity of
the environment the object is in. Mass is measured in kilograms (kg) while weight is
measured in newtons (N).
 Like energy, mass can neither be created nor destroyed, but it can also change form. For
example, an ice cube can melt into a liquid, but it still has the same mass in both states.

4 Realize that mass and energy are equivalent.[5] The equation states that mass and energy
are the same thing and tells you how much energy is contained inside a certain amount of
mass. Essentially, the equation explains that a small amount of mass is full of a large amount of
energy.[6]

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Part Two of Two:

Applying the Equation in the Real World

1 Understand where usable energy comes from. Most of our consumable energy comes from
the burning of coal and natural gas. Burning these substances takes advantage of their
valence electrons (unpaired electrons in the outermost shell of an atom) and the bonds they
make with other elements. When heat is added, these bonds break and the energy released is
used to power our communities.

Obtaining energy this way is not very efficient and is costly to the environment.
2 Apply Einstein’s equation to make energy conversion more efficient. E=mc2 tells us that
there is much more energy stored inside the nucleus of an atom than in its valence
electrons.[7] The energy released from splitting an atom is much higher than that of breaking
electron bonds.

Nuclear power is based on this principle. Nuclear reactors cause fission (the splitting of
atoms) to occur and capture the massive amount of energy released.
 3 Discover the technologies made possible by E=mc2. E=mc2 has enabled the creation of
many new and exciting technologies, some of which, we can’t imagine living without:[8]

PET scans use radioactivity to see inside the body.

The equation allowed for the development of telecommunications with satellites and rovers.
Radiocarbon dating uses radioactive decay based on the equation to determine the age of
ancient objects.
Nuclear energy provides cleaner and more efficient energy sources to our society.

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Community Q&A

You use a melting ice cube as an example of an object changing forms without losing mass. But
surely the melted water will occupy less volume than the ice cube?

Answered by wikiHow Contributor

Mass and volume are not the same. You can stretch or compact an object to change its volume, but the
amount of matter inside it will stay the same. In the ice cube example, the molecules in liquid water are
closer together, but they're still the same molecules that were in the ice.

Can humans travel 1% the speed of light yet?

Answered by wikiHow Contributor

No, not even close. Keep in mind that the speed of light is 3.00×10^8 meters/second. For us to even go
a fraction of that speed, 1% for example, we would have to go 3.0×10^6 meters/second which is
approximately 1,864.1 miles/second or 6,710,808.88 miles/hour. We are not even close to that speed
yet technologically.

How is gravity impacted by e=mc2?

Answered by wikiHow Contributor

F=ma and E=mc2 are both encompassed, surpassed, and related by this most fundamental law/truth in
all of physics: Inertial resistance is proportional to gravitational force/energy. (Gravity has energy.) This
law applies to the Sun and to photons, and it applies to black holes. Balancing gravity and inertia is what
is most fundamental and important here. So, force/energy, acceleration, photons/light, gravity and
inertia, and larger and smaller space are central considerations for what is impacted by this equation.

Why are atoms so small?

Answered by wikiHow Contributor

Atoms are the building blocks of matter, and they only consist of a certain amount of subatomic
particles. They are considered "small" perhaps, since we are so large in comparison, and they are one of
the smallest units of creation.

I've heard that special relativity is related to time travel. How does that work?

Answered by wikiHow Contributor

There's no such thing as absolute time. Two people moving at different relative speeds can disagree on
how much time has passed between two events. However, if you could send a signal faster than light,
things get weirder: the two people could disagree over which event came first. This leads to "time travel"
paradoxes, such as sending a message to yourself in the past. Most physicists think faster than light
signals are impossible, partly for this reason.
 How does nuclear fission release so much more energy than the break in electrons from burning
fossil fuels?

Answered by wikiHow Contributor

Almost all of the mass in an atom is located in the nucleus, where protons and neutrons are bound
together very tightly. Nuclear fission breaks apart these tight bonds and converts some of the nucleus
mass into energy.

Why can't an object with mass travel at the speed of light?

Answered by wikiHow Contributor

Special relativity explains that accelerating an object with mass takes more and more energy as the
speed increases. When you're near the speed of light, this effect is so noticeable that you can only edge
closer and closer to light speed, no matter how much energy you put in.

Is there a spiritual aspect to this equation, treating energy as the soul and mass as the body?

Answered by wikiHow Contributor

Physics terms refer to precisely defined, physical phenomena. Burning wood transforms matter into
energy, but most religions would not call the result a soul. Einstein himself and many people since have
interpreted his theories from a religious perspective, but that's outside the scope of the equations
themselves.

You use a melting ice cube as an example of an object changing forms without losing mass. But
surely the melted water will occupy less volume than the ice cube?

Answered by wikiHow Contributor

Mass is nothing but the ratio of volume and area. The area of water is more than that of the ice cube
and the volume has also changed. As a result, the mass will stay constant.

Could you simplify this even more, for teaching kids 13 or 14 years old?

Answered by wikiHow Contributor

I would focus on the idea that energy (for instance light and sound) and mass (and physical object) can
be converted to each other. The "c squared" part is more difficult to explain, but you could talk about
how Einstein figured out that c (the speed of light) is the "speed limit" in the universe.

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About this wikiHow

Co-authors: 46
Updated: June 15, 2017
Views: 911,662
Article Rating: 83% - 738 votes
 Categories: Featured Articles | Physics

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