Is Matter and Energy Creation a Contradiction?

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SUMMARY

The discussion centers on the principles of matter and energy conservation, specifically addressing the confusion surrounding the statement that matter and energy can neither be created nor destroyed. Participants clarify that while energy cannot be created or destroyed, matter can be converted into energy and vice versa, as described by Einstein's equation E=mc². The conversation also touches on misconceptions about mass-energy equivalence and the implications of the Big Bang theory, emphasizing that the law of conservation does not apply to the universe's creation.

PREREQUISITES
  • Understanding of Einstein's mass-energy equivalence (E=mc²)
  • Basic knowledge of chemical and nuclear reactions
  • Familiarity with the laws of thermodynamics
  • Introduction to cosmology and the Big Bang theory
NEXT STEPS
  • Research the implications of mass-energy equivalence in physics
  • Study the laws of thermodynamics in detail
  • Explore advanced concepts in cosmology, particularly the Big Bang theory
  • Investigate common misconceptions in physics education regarding matter and energy
USEFUL FOR

Students, educators, and anyone interested in physics, particularly those exploring the concepts of matter, energy, and cosmology.

Evenus1
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how can it be that mater can never be created nor destroyed. I just don't understand
I was taught that both energy and mater can never be created nor destroyed yet they are interchangeable.
to me this sounds like a direct contradiction of its self
am I missing a major fundamental.
Evenus1
 
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Matter and energy aren't interchangeable. Rather, matter is a form of energy, but there are other kinds of energy than matter. Matter can be converted to other forms of energy, so it can be created and destroyed. Energy cannot be created or destroyed. The big bang is a possible exception--but we don't understand enough to really say.
 
is the big bang not beloved to be a dip in an multiverse plane of energy that caused an expediential reels of energy in a un comprehendible time span
 
Matter can be created and destroyed. Mass and energy cannot, however. And it's not that mass and energy are interchangeable, it's that a quantity of energy has a certain amount of mass associated with it, with the equation e=mc2 serving to figure out how much. For example, if I add 1 joule of energy to a system, the system gains 1.1126500560536 x 10-17 Kg's of mass.

Chemical and nuclear reactions are often given as examples of mass turning into energy, but this is not true. For example, if an atom decays and emits radiation, it is typically said that some of the mass of the atom has 'turned into energy'. But if we look at the atom prior to decay as a single system, and the atom plus the light after the decay as another single system, then BOTH systems have exactly the same mass.
 
a lot of people believe a lot of strange things about the big bang, but nothing is proven
 
Evenus1 said:
is the big bang not beloved to be a dip in an multiverse plane of energy that caused an expediential reels of energy in a un comprehendible time span

No, that is absolutely not what the big bang is believed to be. It's also a little off topic to talk about the big bang. Let's stick to the original topic please.
 
but (I am still in secondary school) does qm not explane this
 
sorry I am just really interested in all of these kinds of theories and do a lot of research into them but I sometimes come up a bit short
 
The big bang? No, QM doen't explain it. Mass-energy equivalence? I'm not sure how QM touches on that.
 
  • #10
One source of confusion is that some texts give an incorrect definition of mass as the quantity of matter.
 
  • #11
Evenus1 said:
how can it be that mater can never be created nor destroyed. I just don't understand
I was taught that both energy and mater can never be created nor destroyed yet they are interchangeable.
to me this sounds like a direct contradiction of its self
am I missing a major fundamental.
Evenus1
This law does not apply to the creation of the Universe. That is the beauty of cosmology.
 

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