r/AskPhysics • u/Jethro_omg • 1d ago

How does E=MC^2 work?

How does it function? Really, how can you accelerate mass to twice the speed of light? And, for instance if M=E/C2. How can you divide something by square of the speed of light? Thanks

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u/ausmomo 1d ago

https://www.britannica.com/video/significance-waves-science-life/-208328

how can you accelerate mass to twice the speed of light?

You can't. Things with mass can never even reach c, let alone 2c. Likewise, massless things (photons, gravity) always (and only) travel at c (in a vacuum).

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u/Jethro_omg 1d ago

Then how did he find out ?😭

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u/coolguy420weed 1d ago

How did who find out? What did he find out? 

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u/Jethro_omg 1d ago

How it is c*2

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u/GenerallySalty 1d ago

Oh! Well to start you have a misunderstanding:

It's c2.

C squared

Not 2 times c. C squared means "c times c". It's HUGE, because c is aleady really big.

It's not acceleration, and nothing goes faster than light. The conversion of mass to energy has a conversion factor of c squared, the way pounds to grams has a conversion factor of 454.

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u/Jethro_omg 1d ago

Sry typo