What is E=mc2?: Mass Energy Equivalence

1689 Words4 Pages

E=MC2
What is E=mc^2?
E=MC2, also known as mass-energy equivalence, is a famous equation in the scientific corridors. Most people know that Albert Einstein discovered this equation in 1905. However, past that they do not know a thing. All they know is that this equation equates energy (E) to mass (M) times the speed of light(C) squared (Forshaw and Smith 12).
What is so significant about the equation and why is it so famous?
The fact that this equation is famous yet most people do not know what it means makes one wonder where its fame lies. An appropriate answer to this question lies in the numerous application of this equation in nature. Most of these people come face to face with these applications in real life and relate it to Einstein. No wonder mass-energy equivalence is famous yet most people do not have details about it.
How did Einstein come to this equation?
Much has been said about how Einstein discovered this famous equation. For instance, some scientist point that Einstein made it up all. He did it without scientific reasoning, evidence or proof. He woke up one morning and said, “it has to be so”. In 1905, he published it in an in a three-paged article entitled "Does the Inertia of a Body Depend on Its Energy Content?" obscure scientific journal. The fact that this article did not have any reference to support it shook the scientific community (Forshaw and Smith 10).
As much as the above explanation might be true, it leaves the readers with lots of equation. For instance, what motivated Einstein to come up with this equation? A more elaborate explanation is that Einstein derived this equation in a bid to reconcile the principle of the conservation of momentum and energy with James Clerk Maxwell's electromagneti...

... middle of paper ...

...ravel also relies on this radiation-derived power. The photons coming out from the sun and other stars hold energy that propels the spaceship in a vacuum (Tyson 1).

The most recent application of this equation is in the detection of Cherenkov radiation. Scientists are seeking to sink a giant neutrino detector deep in ice to detect the eerie blue light that neutrinos emit. This will help cosmologist to have a deeper understanding of neutrinos and the other objects descending from outer space. The use of E=mc2 is simply irresistible in this process (Tyson 1).

The use of E=mc2 shows no sign of diminishing in the near future. Its use in the scientific and the sociological fronts is not unexploited to the fullest. As scientists continue to encounter several challenges, they will continue to build up on the existing theories to find the solution to these challenges.

Open Document