Domenic Rivetti

5/1/18

Physics on the Edge

The Equivalence of Mass and Energy

There are many lessons learned in the Physics classroom that are not entirely true. The

lessons that are taught are useful when focusing on a larger scale, but sometimes smaller details

that would also solve a problem are overlooked. The equivalence of mass and energy is a prime

example of these phenomena. Around the world, many people know Albert Einstein’s famous

equation, E = mc2. What many do not know is where that equation came from and the

understanding behind it.

In Physics classrooms everywhere, kinetic energy is found using the familiar equation,

KE=1/2 mv2. This is the classical equation for kinetic energy. In 1905, a relativistic kinetic

energy equation was created by Einstein. When first looking at this equation, it can be easy to

assume that it is much more complicated than the classical equation due to its large size. This

might lead people to think that the two equations produce different answers, but this belief is

incorrect. When the relativistic equation is reduced, it turns out to be the same as the classical

equation. That is, only for speeds that are small when compared to the speed of light. This means

that the classical equation can be used in place of the relativistic equation when dealing with

speed that is much smaller than the speed of light. If very high speeds are involved though, it

may be smarter to use the relativistic equation for more accurate results.

The relativistic equation shows that when the velocity of an object is equal to zero, the

kinetic energy is also equal to zero. When there is no velocity, there is still a form of energy
present. This energy is called rest energy and it can be found in Einstein’s equation, E = mc2. In

Physics classrooms, students learn that an object that is at a height of zero and which has no

velocity must have no energy. This equation clearly goes against this statement and will allow

Physics students to dive even deeper into a problem to grow in their knowledge of energy and

how it works.

After understanding how Einstein’s famous equation came to be, it is easy to see how it

shows the equivalence of mass and energy. An object automatically has a certain amount of

energy due to its mass. The rest energy of any given object is its mass multiplied by the speed of

light squared. Therefore, the mass of an object is a measure of its rest energy. Mass being

converted into energy shows how the two are equivalent. An example of this conversion occurs

with the sun and other stars. “Around 4.5 million tons of the sun’s mass is converted into other

forms of energy every second, by fusing hydrogen into helium.” (Serway, Faughn 179). The

equivalence of mass and energy could have never been discovered if it wasn’t for Einstein’s

ingenious work. He gave us the tools and information to thrive and he set the foundation for a

time that would be full of scientific accomplishments and discoveries.

 Works Cited

Fernflores, Francisco. “The Equivalence of Mass and Energy.” Stanford Encyclopedia of

Philosophy, Stanford University, 12 Sept. 2001, plato.stanford.edu/entries/equivME/.

Serway, Raymond A., and Jerry S. Faughn. Holt McDougal Physics. Holt McDougal, 2012.

“The Equivalence of Mass and Energy.” Stanford Encyclopedia of Philosophy, Stanford

University, stanford.library.sydney.edu.au/archives/spr2004/entries/equivME/.