The Beginner’s Guide to E=mc2

An everyday guide to one of the most famous formulas in the world

Photo by Zoltan Tasi on Unsplash

While E=mc2 has been attributed as one of Albert Einstein’s famous equations, it is interesting to note that the first allusion to this concept was only as a sentence in German. It was in one of his early papers and stated how an object’s mass would diminish when its’ energy is given off. It was only in subsequent papers that this concept was honed into the elegant formula that we know today. In this Guide, we will provide a layman understanding of the concepts behind E=mc2, as well as what this means for the scientific community at large. For simplicity’s sake, this Guide will skip the maths and touch on the basic components of the equation and how it has been applied in the scientific community.

Do not worry about your difficulties in Mathematics. I can assure you mine are still greater. — Albert Einstein

Energy = Mass * Speed of Light squared (E=mc2)

“Equations written in chalk on a worn-out blackboard” by Roman Mager on Unsplash

Prior to Einstein’s papers, the general understanding was that mass and energy were distinct entities. Einstein’s formula dictates…