What kind of significant impacts have originated from E=mc^2. Generally, it is regarded as the most famous equation of all time.

furajat4h

furajat4h

Answered question

2022-09-24

What kind of significant impacts have originated from E = m c 2 .
Generally, it is regarded as the most famous equation of all time. Except for nuclear energy (fission and fusion) I do not know any other way in which this equation has made an impact on the world.
Can somebody list some developments and impacts based on this equation?

Answer & Explanation

Cremolinoer

Cremolinoer

Beginner2022-09-25Added 11 answers

While it is famous in popular culture, I don't think that there are any useful phenomena other than fission/fusion that can be explained through this equation. In fact, this equation on its own is quite useless (and not used that much either -- it lets one know that mass and energy are not distinct quantities, but after that there's not much you can do with this; E 2 = p 2 c 2 + m 2 c 4 is more useful).
Besides, nuclear fission and fusion aren't really consequences of just this equation. They are consequences of the underlying theory (special relativity) as a whole. However, they can be easily explained via this equation. Similarly, matter-antimatter annihilation can be explained with this equation, but it certainly wasn't discovered from it.
To put this question in perspective, compare with "What developments came from the equation F = m a?". Developments came from the underlying theory of Newtonian Mechanics, but there isn't really anything that comes specifically from F = m a.

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