Understand E=MC2; A beginners guide to Theoretical Science ★

E=MC2, so what is it?

Well basically E is energy which equals Mass (of matter, an object) times the speed of light squared. Easy right? Ha I don't think so!

My understanding of this most famous of equations is that it represents the relationship between matter and energy, these things are connected and even the same thing in different states. This understanding allowed the atom to be split, in doing so massive energy was released. Originally it was hoped that this access to energy would improve the lives of everyone here on planet earth. Sadly it was used as a weapon instead, bloody governments!

For the longest time my question was: if nothing even light can escape a black hole does that mean that light is matter. If the gravity of a black hole can effect light it must have some kind of mass to be effected, implying that it is matter.

Looking at this equation again got me thinking, duh of course it is! Energy equals mass (times the speed of light squared), light is energy thus it would have mass if that energy could be converted to mass instead of its current state of energy.

The funny thing is that the speed of light is not constant, the standard measurement used is the speed of light in the vacuum of space. When moving through different mediums the speed of light can be slowed down.

If you have followed me this far I would like to challenge a common teaching. The teaching is that nothing can travel faster then light, ermmm well one thing must actually..... the expansion of the universe itself, otherwise light would be everywhere simultaneously and only really traveling out into the void.

If I haven't totally blown you away with that last tid bit lets see if we can understand this idea of time relative to speed. You may have heard it said that if you travelled near the speed of light say to another planet and returned the time it took you would be less in comparison to the time passed here on earth. I spent ages trying to get my head around this one, it seems kinda hard to believe in some respects. The thing I wasn't getting was to do with that relationship between mass and speed (or energy). We are moving through time right? We are also moving through space right? (unless we can literally sit still, on this planet that is always moving and spinning you are never really still).

The rate that we are moving through these mediums is always balanced. If the speed we are traveling through space speeds up our rate of travel through time must slow down to maintain a constant over all speed. I have to assume that if I could sit totally still in space, say on my space ship, my rate of movement through time would have to increase to its very limit. Assuming my body and space ship could handle that velocity of speed in time would I have a time machine? Maybe the science boffins need to get on it!

I hope that I have helped you to get your head around some of this science stuff! If you enjoyed it and feel that now you could rub shoulders with the likes of Albert Einstein leave a comment and let me know! If you think some of your friends would like to increase their understanding of this theoretical science feel free to pass this page on to em!