Does Matter-Antimatter Annihilation Really Produce an Energy Discrepancy?

[humsafar]

I've heard that matter antimatter annihilation does not produce required mass to energy ratio at the end, i.e either some particles created are not being detected...is this true? Also why does annihilation creates so much energy, any logical explanation?

 

[mathman]

Matter antimatter annihilation results in all the mass being converted to energy with the quantity determined by E=mc². There are no undetected particles, as far I understand your question.

 

[DaveC426913]

Also why does annihilation creates so much energy, any logical explanation?

Annihilation does not create the energy; the energy was already there in the form of mass. (Mass and energy are two flavours of the same thing.)

(Analagously, ice and water are also two flavours of the same thing; you would not ask why the melting of ice "creates" so much water, would you?)

Annihilation is simply the process of conversion of mass into energy and the release of that energy.

There is a lot of energy "curled up" in every bit of mass. In fact, the amount of energy is equivalent to mc².

 

[humsafar]

Just one more thing...fusion also makes a lot of energy...but mass is not converted to energy there...(fusion of hydrogen),now... what's the difference of energy levels at fusion and annihilation of the same atom (let's say hydrogen with mainly proton being fused or annihilated)

 

[DaveC426913]

... mass is not converted to energy there...

Yes it is.

The mass of the initial products is slightly more than the mass of the final products. The difference is liberated as energy.

Hereis one example of many:
http://hyperphysics.phy-astr.gsu.edu/hbase/nucene/fusion.html#c2