The mass energy relation E equals mc squared implies that
- A. mass and energy are different names for one physical quantity that can be converted between forms
- B. mass can never be converted to energy
- C. energy has no mass
- D. c is a variable
Explanation
Because c squared is so large, a tiny loss of mass releases an enormous quantity of energy, which is exactly what happens in nuclear fission and fusion. The mass defect of a nucleus, converted by this relation, gives its binding energy. Chemical reactions release energy too, but the accompanying mass change is far too small to measure.
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