E=mc2: What Does Einstein’s Most Famous Equation Mean?

Albert Einstein’s simple yet powerful equation revolutionized physics by connecting the mass of an object with its energy for the first time.

By Nathaniel Scharping
Apr 8, 2021 5:00 PMMar 21, 2023 8:17 PM
einstein's equation written on a piece of paper - shutterstock 476432692
(Credit: MarkoV87/Shutterstock)

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It is perhaps the most famous equation in the world, and also one of the most elegant. Einstein’s legendary equivalence between mass and energy, given the simple formula E=mc^2, is familiar even to schoolchildren.

At times, it simply stands as a placeholder for science — like in cartoons where writing E=mc^2 on a chalkboard signifies there’s some serious physics going on. But the relationship Einstein’s equation alludes to underlies fundamental properties of the universe itself. Mass is energy, energy is mass; the equation builds a bridge between two seemingly disparate domains.

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