2006-08-24 03:50:18 · 7 answers · asked by aqib05 1 in Science & Mathematics ➔ Physics
einstein discovered that e = mc^2 during a breakdown of his equations. this is not actually the theory of relativity, and it's not actually the complete equation. the full equation is more complex. what we know as e = mc^2 should actually be written:
e(sub0) = m(sub0)*c^2
because there is inherent energy from other items as well. this equation determines the rest/mass energy. basically, what it means is if we harness ALL of the energy by taking apart a certain piece of mass as far as we possibly can, this is the amount of energy we should get out. an example would be the amount of nuclear mass converted during an explosion is the energy released by a nuclear bomb. this is also the basis of nuclear power reactors as well.
2006-08-24 03:58:23 · answer #1 · answered by promethius9594 6 · 0⤊ 0⤋
Albert did not know that Mass and Energy would be the same entity when he began his work on relativity theory. Over the years, he worked out numerous equations, combined them and factored them down - and ended with the famous E=MC2.
This amazing feat meant the Energy contained in a Mass was equal to the Mass times the speed of light (C) squared - a very,very large quantity. In other words, Mass and Energy are the same thing in different forms. C is used as the speed of light because it is the universal Constant.
It was an amazing concept from an amazing man. E=MC2 suddenly explained where and why the sun and stars get all of their energy and led the way to nuclear fission and fusion experiments.
2006-08-24 11:17:21 · answer #2 · answered by LeAnne 7 · 0⤊ 0⤋
This is the equation which is the fundamental principle of the theory of relativity. It gives the innterelation between mass and energy. It tells us how mass and energy are innterrelated and how any mass moving at the speed of light is in the form of energy. Dont bother too much about how he discovered it, scientists are pretty crazy that way. Ill also give u some trivia to go with ur answer, contrary to popular belief einstein was never awarded the nobel prize for this theory of relativity but for his expalanation of the photo-electric effect, which was pretty much simple since most of it was already explained by other scientists unlike his theory of relativity which was completely his own doing and has wider application in normal life. here are also some amazing examples regarding this theory which u might find in many books like halliday & resnick, if ure keen on knowing more about it, refer to the book. Its un put-downable
2006-08-24 10:56:16 · answer #3 · answered by megalomaniac 3 · 0⤊ 0⤋
He didn't actually do any experiments, the equation was derived purely theoretically...That means he basically daydreamed the thing into existence, which is pretty impressive if you truly understand what the equation implicates!
Put VERY simply (and thus not totally correctly) it means that when an object with mass moves relativistically (near the speed of light) its mass can be converted into energy, which in tuns means that no object with mass can move faster than the speed of light.
2006-08-24 10:58:22 · answer #4 · answered by Stopwatch 2 · 0⤊ 0⤋
E stands for energy. m stands for mass. c stands for the speed of light. With this there is E=mc^2. How Einstein came up with this, I'll never know.
2006-08-24 10:57:58 · answer #5 · answered by tooqerq 6 · 0⤊ 0⤋
E stands for energy, m for mass, and c for the speed of light (a commonly used symbolic notation). What this means is that any amount of mass is equivalent to an amount of energy equal to the mass times the square of the speed of light. Einstein developed this as a consequence of his special theory of relativity, deriving it as he attempted to define what happens to an object traveling at velocities approaching the speed of light.
2006-08-24 10:57:50 · answer #6 · answered by DavidK93 7 · 0⤊ 0⤋
Oh, I told him the eqn, he didn't discover!
2006-08-24 11:10:47 · answer #7 · answered by anoopkn2005 2 · 0⤊ 0⤋