Equating Heat and Einstein's equation confusion

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The discussion centers on the confusion surrounding the mass-energy equivalence formula and its application to heat and temperature changes. It highlights that the mass in the equation M*c² represents the energy equivalent mass, while the mass in the heat equation M*cm*ΔT refers to the rest mass of the substance, which are fundamentally different. The mass does not cancel out because they represent different concepts. To properly relate the two, the equation should be adjusted to Δm * c² = m * cm * ΔT. This clarification emphasizes the need to distinguish between energy mass and rest mass when performing such calculations.
pjbeierle
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I should start by saying that I am a bit embarissed by asking such a silly question
By simply equating the mass-energy formula with the temperature dependence of heat...

M*c2 = M* cm *ΔT

it strikes me as odd that the mass cancels,

c2 = cm *ΔT

I was doing this in order to calculate how much mass is gained by heating say a cup of water up by a specific amount (I know it would be very small, but I was just curious of the order of magnitude). But it seems I cannot do this, so there must be something obvious I am missing.
 
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They don't cancel because they are two different masses. On the left is the mass equivalent of the energy and on the right is the rest mass of the water.
 
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russ_watters said:
They don't cancel because they are two different masses. On the left is the mass equivalent of the energy and on the right is the rest mass of the water.
...or to put it another way, the equation should be
\Delta m \, c^2 = m \, c_m \, \Delta T
 

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