Conversion constant from mass to energy

AI Thread Summary
To calculate the rest energy of a proton, its rest mass of 938 MeV/c² is multiplied by the conversion factor to obtain energy in joules. The factor of 1.6 x 10^-13 is indeed used to convert MeV to joules, but the c² is inherently included in the mass-energy equivalence formula. Therefore, the c² term does not need to be explicitly included in the calculation, as it is already accounted for in the mass-energy relationship. The rest energy of the proton remains 938 MeV, which is equivalent to its energy in joules when the proper conversion is applied. Understanding this relationship clarifies the conversion process between mass and energy without needing to separately address c².
huey910
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I was told at school that if we want to calculate the rest energy of the proton, we multiply its rest mass = 938 MeVc^-2 by a factor of 1.6*10^-13. However, doesn't this convert MeV to Joules only? What about the c^2? Please explain why we can omit it in our calculations. Thank you!
 
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c2 is built into the constant you use.
 
The rest energy is 938Mev
 

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