Momentum to Energy Conversion: Learn How it is Done

[goodphy]

Hello.

I'm reading some accelerator physics paper showing the momentum unit for the accelerated particles as MeV/c.

I'm not interested in the momentum but energy thus I really want to convert this to energy.

How it is done? Simply multiplying c? if so, there must be some reason for justify the action.

Please help me to go further.

 

[Dale]

Momentum, energy, and mass are related by $m^2 c^2=E^2/c^2-p^2$

 

[jtbell]

Or, the way I like to remember it: $E^2 = (pc)^2 + (mc^2)^2$.

E, pc and mc² all have units of energy (MeV or joules or whatever)

 

[goodphy]

Oh thanks people!

Thus..since momentum in the paper is, for example, 0.79 MeV/c so pc should be simply the momentum multiplied by c, 0.79 MeV right?

 

[jtbell]

Right.