When Einstein first derived his formula in 1905, no one had the faintest idea how to convert mass into energy in any practical way. The formulas merely tell us what the equivalent values are if we succeed in making the conversion. Notice that this formula does not tell us how to convert mass into energy, just as the formula for cents does not tell us where to exchange coins for a dollar bill. The factor of c 2 is just the number that Einstein showed must be used to relate mass and energy. Note that matter does not have to travel at the speed of light (or the speed of light squared) for this conversion to occur. The conversion factor in this case turns out not to be either 12 or 100, as in our examples, but another constant quantity: the speed of light squared. Just as each conversion formula allows you to calculate the conversion of one thing into another, when we convert matter into energy, we consider how much mass the matter has. Inches = feet × 12, or cents = dollars × 100 inches = feet × 12, or cents = dollars × 100 The remarkable equivalence between matter and energy is given in one of the most famous equations: That would be pretty difficult to believe yet, the universe actually works somewhat like that. The idea that matter or energy can be converted into each other seemed as outrageous as saying you could accelerate a car by turning the bumper into more speed, or that you could create a bigger front seat by slowing down your car. Matter is something we can see and touch, whereas energy is something objects have when they do things like move or heat up. This seemed to contradict what humans had learned over thousands of years by studying nature. Furthermore, energy can also be converted into matter. One of the remarkable conclusions derived by Albert Einstein (see Albert Einstein) when he developed his theory of relativity is that matter can be considered a form of energy too and can be converted into energy.
Trace the nuclear reactions in the solar interiorĪs we have seen, energy cannot be created or destroyed, but only converted from one form to another.Understand the nuclear forces that hold atoms together.Describe the particles that make up atoms.Explain how matter can be converted into energy.
By the end of this section, you will be able to:
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