Physics
Advanced

Mass–Energy Equivalence

Energy equivalent of mass.

Formula

E=mc2E = mc^2

Variables

mMass
cSpeed of light (3×10⁸ m/s)

Example

1 gram of mass holds E = 0.001·(3×10⁸)² = 9×10¹³ J — about 21 kilotons of TNT.

Did You Know?

E = mc² means a single gram of matter holds the energy of roughly 21,000 tons of TNT.