E=mc² Calculator
Use Einstein’s famous mass-energy equivalence formula to calculate energy from mass or mass from energy.
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How E=mc² Works
E = m × c²
This equation shows the relationship between energy (E) and mass (m), where c is the speed of light in a vacuum.
- E = Energy
- The amount of energy equivalent to the mass, measured in joules (J) or other energy units.
- m = Mass
- The mass of the object, measured in kilograms (kg) or other mass units.
- c = Speed of light
- A constant value of 299,792,458 meters per second (approximately 3.00 × 10⁸ m/s).
The Meaning of E=mc²
Einstein’s equation E=mc² demonstrates that mass and energy are two forms of the same thing. Mass can be converted into energy and energy can be converted into mass. This principle is fundamental to nuclear reactions, where small amounts of mass are converted into enormous amounts of energy.
Practical Applications
The equation explains:
- How the Sun and other stars produce energy through nuclear fusion
- The principles behind nuclear power plants
- The energy released in nuclear weapons
- Particle-antiparticle annihilation in particle physics