Can someone describe E=mc^2 to me in laymans terms

[Niaboc67]

Please do your best to describe E=Mc^2 to me in the most plain English you know and as basic as possible without leaving out details. Any links you think would help would be great.

Thank you

 

[r4z0r84]

i can't really explain it better than this wiki

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mass–energy_equivalence

 

[sarsonlarson5]

I'm not sure if this really helps:

Energy = Mass*(speed of light)^2

You probably already know this. However, in case you don't, I hope this helps. As you can see, this number can get very large. Anyway, imagine a hydrogen atom - essentially a proton. This hydrogen atom has a very small mass (can't remember what it was in kg). To find the energy of this hydrogen atom- just multiply by the square of the speed of light - which should amount to a fairly large number in comparison to the mass of a hydrogen atom. This is because the theorem above states the amount of energy that the mass would be turned into if it was turned into raw energy!

Once again- hope this helps!

 

[jtbell]

https://www.physicsforums.com/blog.php?b=3588

 

[pmacias]

for your question. E=mc^2 is a famous equation that was developed by Albert Einstein. It is known as the "mass-energy equivalence" equation.

In simple terms, this equation means that energy (E) and mass (m) are related to each other. The "c" in the equation represents the speed of light, which is a very large number. This means that even a small amount of mass can be converted into a large amount of energy.

To understand this better, think of a car driving at a high speed. The faster it goes, the more energy it has. In the same way, the speed of light is so fast that even a tiny amount of mass can produce a huge amount of energy.

This equation has had a huge impact on science and has helped us understand the relationship between matter and energy. It is also important in fields such as nuclear energy and the study of the universe.

If you would like to learn more about E=mc^2, here are some helpful links:

- This video from the Khan Academy explains the equation in more detail and provides examples:
- This article from LiveScience discusses the history and significance of E=mc^2: https://www.livescience.com/46558-einstein-s-famous-equation-equals-mc-squared.html
- For a more in-depth explanation, you can read this article from the American Institute of Physics: https://www.aip.org/history-programs/niels-bohr-library/faq/e-mc2
- And for a fun and creative explanation, check out this TED-Ed video:

I hope this helps to clarify E=mc^2 for you. It is a complex concept, but understanding it can open up a whole new world of understanding about the universe we live in.